A new report co-developed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Bain & Company reveals that healthcare is undergoing an AI transformation at a pace faster than the shift to electronic health records (EHRs). Titled the Healthcare AI Adoption Index, the study surveyed over 400 leaders across provider, payer, and pharma sectors to understand how organisations are experimenting with and adopting generative AI (GenAI) technologies—and where key opportunities and hurdles lie.
Accelerating AI Budgets, Yet Few Pilots Reach Scale
The study shows that 95% of healthcare executives believe GenAI will be transformative, with 60% reporting their AI budgets already outpacing traditional IT spend. Yet, only 30% of AI pilot projects make it to production. Key bottlenecks include data readiness, security concerns, integration complexity, and lack of internal expertise.
Interestingly, while 84% of respondents believe AI Adoption will impact clinical decisions, and 80% expect labour cost reductions through automation, adoption still lags behind ambition. Just 50% of organisations surveyed have a clear AI strategy, and 57% have formal AI governance committees—indicating structural challenges to execution.
Startups vs. Big Tech: A Mixed Outlook
Though healthcare innovation has historically leaned on startups, internal development and Big Tech collaborations are increasingly prominent. Startups now contribute to only 15% of current AI projects. Despite this, 48% of executives say they prefer working with startups over established players due to flexibility and speed. Still, over half would only partner with early-stage companies that can demonstrate tangible impact and ROI.
Startups seeking traction must rethink their go-to-market approaches. Co-development and outcome-based validation are becoming critical, especially as 64% of healthcare buyers express openness to co-building GenAI solutions with startups that align with their strategic goals.
Strategic Use Cases and Near-Term Wins
The Index maps 59 “jobs-to-be-done” across three sectors:
22 use cases in Payer workflows (claims, member services, pricing),
19 in Pharma (clinical trials, marketing, drug discovery),
18 in Providers (diagnostics, care delivery, revenue cycle management).
While only 57% of pharma leaders expect AI to drive new drug discoveries within the decade, provider and payer segments are more bullish on the near-term gains—particularly in clinical decision support, diagnostics, and administrative efficiency.
Toward a More Impactful AI Future in Healthcare
The report outlines that AI is no longer viewed as an emerging innovation but as a strategic necessity in healthcare. However, it stresses that organisations must shift from experimentation to scaled implementation if they are to realise GenAI’s full potential. For startups, the path to success lies in co-creating with buyers, proving ROI early, and navigating the unique procurement landscape of healthcare.
In a sector where innovation adoption is often slow, this Index marks a significant milestone in charting AI adoption into the healthcare ecosystem.
