AI agents are rapidly changing healthcare in the United States and around the world. These smart computer programs can work on their own to help doctors, nurses, and hospitals do their jobs better.

The White House released a new AI Action Plan this week that puts healthcare front and center. The plan calls for AI to help create new research ideas and design medical studies. This means AI agents will play a bigger role in how doctors discover new treatments and test medicines. The government wants hospitals and research centers to use AI in smarter ways.

Hospitals are spending lots of money on AI tools that can save them time and money. Seven out of ten hospitals now have a plan for using AI. They are focusing on AI agents that can handle boring paperwork tasks. These include computer programs that listen to doctors talking and write medical notes automatically. They also use AI to help with billing and insurance claims.

Insurance companies are also jumping on board. Eight out of ten insurance plans have AI strategies ready or in the works. They want AI agents to help manage patient care and talk to members on the phone. These smart programs can answer questions and help people get the care they need without waiting for a human.

One of the most popular uses is ambient documentation. This means AI listens while doctors talk to patients and writes up the visit notes automatically. About one in five hospitals are already using this everywhere, and two in five are testing it out. Doctors say this helps them spend less time typing and more time with patients. The World Health Organization also highlighted this week that AI could transform healthcare globally, but countries need to make sure everyone can access these new tools fairly.