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Healthcare leaders across the industry told MobiHealthNews that 2025 has been the year when AI’s promise met both progress and pragmatism.
From ambient documentation and back-office automation to drug discovery, women’s health, cognitive care and at-home diagnostics, healthcare innovation accelerated, but so did the scrutiny around real-world impact, ROI and the irreplaceable human element needed for AI in healthcare.
Here is part two of what healthcare executives say are the biggest takeaways from the year:
Dr. Peter A. Bonis, chief medical officer at Wolters Kluwer Health
The last year proved just how much of the AI conversation is still shaped by anticipation rather than outcomes. Economic growth in the United States was fueled by AI, yet the broad productivity gains many expected, especially in healthcare, are yet to fully materialize.
We saw the greatest scaled up progress in back-office functions, like revenue cycle management. Ambient scribes continue to be one of the most compelling applications for front-line care. Despite the progress, several well-cited studies made clear that many AI applications struggle to deliver a clear return on investment, underscoring the relatively early stage of the adoption cycle.
Inbar Blum, director of planning and development in the growth division of the Israel Innovation Authority
2025 has shown a strong shift toward deep-tech, AI-driven healthcare and pharma transformation. AI has officially moved from "promise" to real-world infrastructure, especially in drug discovery and clinical support. Biotech is becoming the primary innovation engine as 2/3rds of the global R&D pipeline now comes from emerging biopharma startups.
Moreover, we see more tech startups using AI to address the shortage of doctors and to create efficient workflows across various departments.
Mudit Garg, CEO and founder of Qventus
AI has moved from a topic of general interest to a deep understanding across healthcare that this is a key lever for transformation. That's a significant step forward. We've also seen certain use cases, like ambient documentation, start to become table stakes.
But the real shift has been in the questions health systems are asking. It's no longer "Should we adopt AI?" but "How do we get ROI from it?" And that ROI needs to be threefold: better patient outcomes, reduced staff burnout and improved financial performance.
Matt Cybulsky, managing director of healthcare at Catalant
As 2025 comes to an end, the flurry and exuberance of AI applications in the sector have not slowed. Overall, the ideas of AI applications in healthcare are plentiful, and there is no absolute winner.
An important takeaway for 2025 has to be preserving the human element for AI within healthcare. As Dr. Eric Topol pointed out years ago, we're not going to remove humans completely, nor should we.
It's foolhardy to believe that AI, in its many forms (including agentic), will replace human interaction. In regular observation of product demos throughout 2025, use cases are often depicted with separate agents operating independently of humans. Eventually, this will cease, but for now, it has oddly remained. We have a long journey ahead with possibilities; especially with less than 25% of all healthcare data in structured forms, we're still in early stages for AI adoption, application and discovery.
Regarding AI in healthcare, stillness remains a rebellious act in the space. Smart executives continue to err on the side of observation and exploration when integrating AI tools, rather than rushing to buy for fear of missing out. When it comes to the impact of human dynamics in healthcare, the winning play in AI is a focus on patient satisfaction, effort and quality.
Dr. Julius Bruch, CEO of Isaac Health
One of the defining shifts this year was how brain health finally moved into the mainstream. In 2025, we saw broader recognition from clinicians, payers, researchers and families that cognitive health can be supported, monitored and often improved through earlier intervention. It’s beginning to occupy the same health-priority space that heart health did in the 1990s and 2000s – something we can influence throughout life, not just react to later.
It’s also become clear that care delivery for cognitive impairment is expanding to meet people where they are, through telehealth, hybrid models and community organizations. The idea of siloed neurology care is being challenged by integrated, team-based and tech-enabled care.
Monica Cepak, CEO of Wisp
This year reinforced how quickly women can adopt digital-first care when it’s accessible, discreet and genuinely designed around their needs. We saw record demand across every category, from contraception to menopause support to diagnostics, and far more women turning to telehealth as their primary entry point into the healthcare system.
Another big takeaway is that patients now more than ever expect continuity and personalization in their care journey, not just one-off transactions. The companies that deliver that level of longitudinal care are the ones earning long-term trust and making a real impact on health.
Joy Bhosai, CEO and founder of Pluto Health
The conversation around AI in healthcare is evolving from potential to proven outcomes. While there are many "neat" and great things being built out there, the largest question is how these will actually improve health outcomes.
I’m looking forward to seeing moves toward measurable outcomes – cost savings, improved workflows and real-world validation – rather than just promises of future impact. It’s also become evident that adoption is accelerating in areas where the technology can directly influence patient care and operational efficiency. Collaboration between providers, payers and tech companies has become more strategic, and there’s a stronger emphasis on accountability, evidence and scaling solutions that truly work in real-world settings.
Cindy Jordan, CEO of Pyx Health
2025 made it clear that only the strongest and most adaptable healthcare companies will endure in an industry that’s constantly evolving. Recent policy changes, such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, introduced both immediate pressure and long-term uncertainty, forcing both payers and providers to meet rising needs while planning for an unpredictable future. The impact extended well beyond healthcare, as employers across the country navigated higher healthcare costs. Many struggled to maintain benefits without raising salaries to keep pace with inflation, ultimately placing even more strain on workers.
Additionally, the recent government shutdown exposed key areas the public often overlooks, particularly the difficult reality for Americans who rely on SNAP benefits. When the shutdown paused those benefits, many families found themselves without essential support. Even after the government reopened, that heightened need didn’t suddenly disappear, leaving the healthcare industry to absorb the increased pressure. Ultimately, this year highlighted that resilience and flexibility are essential while navigating the new healthcare landscape.
Laurent Martinot, CEO and cofounder of Sunrise
Patients are demanding quality at-home diagnostics, especially with higher costs of in-clinic care and the major improvements in clinical remote monitoring that we’ve seen in the past year.
In sleep medicine specifically, adoption of home-based testing reached a tipping point. Patients expect accuracy, convenience and immediacy, not multi-month waitlists for sleep labs.
As consumers turn to health devices and wearables more and more, I’m noticing the devices that gained traction were the ones that removed friction from monitoring our health. Lightweight, non-intrusive and AI-supported tools won over consumers and clinicians.
Dr. Ashley Beecy, chief AI officer at Sutter Health
The biggest takeaway from this year is how AI in healthcare has moved from buzz to results-focused, risk-tolerant growth. You can see it with careful and thoughtful pilot-to-scale pathways becoming more apparent. That is a great demonstration of how perceptions have evolved as more people open up to the possibilities, promise and potential AI holds in healthcare.
