- Healthcare unicorn executive sees AI filling gaps in current digital health systems
- Push aligns with China’s broader rollout of AI agents in medical services
AI-powered medical agents are set to play a central role in reshaping healthcare delivery, as systems move beyond basic online services toward more integrated, data-driven models, Liao Jieyuan, chairman of online healthcare giant WeDoctor, said on April 13.
Speaking at the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong, Liao said current internet-based healthcare platforms complete only 15% of the clinical process.
He estimated that the remaining 85% of medical workflows could eventually be handled or supported by AI.
He likened the evolution to a layered system, where the internet provides infrastructure while AI agents act as functional units delivering services, including diagnostics, treatment support and coordination across providers.
Liao said such agents could replicate aspects of physician expertise and enable more efficient allocation of medical resources, while also aggregating patient data to provide continuous, personalized health management.
The approach, he added, could shift healthcare from a treatment-centered model toward preventive and long-term care.
His remarks come as China is moving aggressively to expand the use of AI in healthcare. Under state policy guidelines, intelligent diagnostic support and clinical decision tools are expected to be widely deployed in primary care institutions by 2027, with broader adoption across secondary and higher-tier hospitals by 2030.
China’s three-tiered public hospital system comprises grassroots-level clinics for basic care, secondary hospitals for common diseases, and tertiary institutions for advanced, specialized treatment.
Applications of AI agents are already emerging in consumer-facing healthcare platforms. Ant Group, for instance, connects thousands of hospitals and hundreds of thousands of doctors, handling large volumes of patient queries and consultations through Afu, a proprietary AI-assisted telemedicine app.
WeDoctor, a unicorn headquartered in Hangzhou, has been building out its own AI-driven healthcare network through partnerships with local governments. Its chatbot-like assistant integrates AI doctors, pharmacists and health management agents to support primary care services, particularly in chronic disease management.
In cities such as northern China’s Tianjin, the company’s platform has been deployed to cover more than 1.6 million patients enrolled in family doctor programs, generating over 6 billion yuan ($880 million) in revenue in 2025.
The model is consistent with policy objectives to integrate digital tools and payment system reforms, so as to incentivize preventive care and more efficient use of medical resource.
Liao said the broader goal is to align patients, providers and insurers within a system where AI improves access and efficiency.
This marks a step change for the delivery of healthcare services that rely increasingly on automation and real-time data integration, he explained.
