A US state just approved an AI doctor. For now, it’ll only prescribe acne cures.

The first AI doctor is here. Despite all the skepticism and risks associated with AI models going haywire, the state of Utah just approved Nolla Health, a company that is providing an AI healthcare expert capable of writing prescriptions without any human in the chain. For now, it will only write acne prescriptions for Utah residents over 18 years of age, willing to pay a token monthly subscription fee that’s lighter than your Spotify bill.

The big push here is that the Nolla Derm app will reduce the costs of medical consultation, save users the hassle of clinic visits, and take out the problem of waitlisting from the entire healthcare equation. “Unlike telehealth platforms that use AI only to collect information before handing patients off to clinicians, Nolla’s AI system is designed to independently issue initial prescriptions within tightly defined, physician-approved treatment protocols,” writes the company. 

“The pilot is designed to complement, not replace, physicians.”

The move is a brave leap for the healthcare segment, even though it’s quite controlled in its medical scope. The makers of frontier AI models are not too far behind, as they are actively exploring using AI, not just for the general consumer (with products like ChatGPT Health), but also to assist with medical breakthroughs like drug discovery. But putting an AI doctor in the hands of an average consumer is still a major leap forward.

How does it all work?

The Nolla Derm app requires a monthly subscription that costs $4.99, and it entails a 15-minute questionnaire alongside a face scan. Subsequently, the app writes a personalized prescription treatment plan, and if it is unsure about the skin condition, it links the patient to a certified healthcare professional. Nolla says the AI can prescribe medicine and create a detailed skincare plan for conditions like acne, redness, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and dark spots, and under-eye bags.

In the early days, for the first 100 patients, a healthcare expert will take a look and approve every single prescription written by the AI. Over time, the human intervention will be toned down to weekly reviews. Once the medicines have been delivered or picked up, patients can take regular scans of their face to monitor how their body is responding to the medicine and track recovery. The app also allows users to directly contact a licensed doctor for additional consultation if they need it.

Nolla claims that in over 97% of the cases, licensed clinicians approve the medicines prescribed by the AI. For the rest, it’s “minor adjustments,” instead of a full overhaul. Nola says that it picked acne as the starting point because it’s a relatively low-risk medical condition and has been extensively researched in clinical settings for decades. This also means there are fewer chances of the AI prescribing a treatment that goes far beyond pre-approved treatments fed to it as training data.

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