OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Health to handle health and wellness queries

OpenAI has launched a new health and wellness-focused artificial intelligence assistant, ChatGPT Health, to improve how users engage with medical and wellness information on its platform. The company said the move comes as around 230 million people worldwide ask health and wellness-related questions on ChatGPT every week, ranging from everyday lifestyle concerns to more sensitive medical topics.

ChatGPT Health is a dedicated space within the wider ChatGPT ecosystem, focused solely on health and wellness conversations. OpenAI said the new assistant aims to offer a clearer, more structured experience for users who want reliable explanations, guidance and context for health-related questions, without positioning itself as a replacement for professional medical advice.

A dedicated space for health conversations

OpenAI said ChatGPT Health has been built to support users rather than diagnose or treat medical conditions. The company stressed that the assistant does not replace professional medical care, diagnosis or treatment, and should be used as a complementary tool. One of its main goals is to help users better prepare for discussions with qualified healthcare professionals by guiding them towards more informed and relevant questions.

The assistant is also designed to help users recognise patterns in their health and wellbeing over time. OpenAI highlighted that artificial intelligence is particularly effective at identifying trends across large amounts of data, which can be useful when tracking symptoms, habits or lifestyle changes. By presenting information in plain language, ChatGPT Health aims to improve understanding rather than overwhelm users with technical medical terms.

Unlike standard ChatGPT conversations, health-related discussions are presented in a separate Health section. OpenAI said that medical records, connected health app data and any resulting AI-generated memories remain isolated from the rest of a user’s ChatGPT activity. This separation is intended to reduce the risk of sensitive health information being mixed with unrelated conversations.

However, the assistant can draw on relevant information from a user’s non-health conversations when appropriate. OpenAI gave examples such as a recent move to a new location or a significant lifestyle change. The company emphasised that while certain contextual details may flow into ChatGPT Health, information generated within the Health section does not flow back out into other parts of the platform.

Privacy, data connections and safeguards

ChatGPT Health can be connected to a range of personal health records and wellness applications, subject to explicit user permission. OpenAI said this includes services such as Apple Health, Function and MyFitnessPal, as well as medical records, reports, files and insurance coverage details. The aim is to give the assistant a fuller view of a user’s health situation and level of preparedness.

The company noted that integration with third-party apps is not new to ChatGPT, but acknowledged that health data requires additional safeguards. To address this, OpenAI said users have full control over whether connections are enabled, and can choose to disconnect services at any time. There is also an option to enable multi-factor authentication, adding an extra layer of security when accessing ChatGPT Health.

In the United States, OpenAI has partnered with b.well, a health data privacy provider, to support the secure handling of health information. The company did not provide further details on how the partnership operates in practice. Still, it said it reflects a broader focus on meeting regulatory and privacy expectations in the healthcare space.

OpenAI reiterated that health and medical topics are heavily regulated across many regions and that ChatGPT Health has been designed with these constraints in mind. The assistant’s role is to provide general information and clarity, not to offer medical instructions or definitive answers. Responses are intended to support users in understanding their health journey rather than making decisions on their behalf.

Development, availability and future plans

OpenAI said the development of ChatGPT Health involved extensive collaboration with medical professionals. According to the company, it worked with 260 physicians across 60 countries to refine how the model responds to health-related questions. These physicians reviewed and provided feedback on outputs across 30 areas of focus, contributing more than 600,000 individual evaluations.

The company said this process helped clarify the line between helpful and potentially harmful responses. This issue has long been a concern for AI systems operating in the health domain. However, OpenAI has not disclosed the names of the physicians involved or their specific areas of medical expertise.

At launch, ChatGPT Health is available free of charge to ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus and Pro users outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Access is being rolled out via a registration waitlist, meaning users must sign up before they can use the service.

OpenAI said it plans to expand ChatGPT Health to all ChatGPT users via the web and the iOS app in the coming weeks. The company has not provided a precise timeline for availability in regions currently excluded from the initial launch, but indicated that broader access is a priority as it continues to refine the service.