At Web Summit Vancouver, experts spoke about the panel, “The Future History of Healthcare” delivered an impressive message. The drugs are moving faster than ever, but not fast enough.
This paradox set the stage for discussion regarding the transformation of healthcare via artificial intelligence (AI).
While many industries have been completely revolutionized by technology, the healthcare sector is often behind and sticks to outdated practices. However, participants agreed that AI is beginning to change its narrative, providing promising solutions and a glimpse into the future of personalized, efficient and aggressive care.
The current state of healthcare is cracking
As mentioned earlier, panelists noted that while technology is changing almost every sector of modern life, healthcare continues to operate primarily practices that have not seen much change for decades.
“The moments of physical examination, which are the interaction between doctors and patients, have literally remained little different over the past 200 years,” said moderator Ohad Alagi, setting the stage for a talk about what healthcare looks like in 2030.
“Of course, a lot of things in healthcare have changed, but it was a very slow slow. But we see that the pace of change, the pace of innovation adoption is increasing at both the treatment and diagnosis.”
Lu Zhang, founder of the Fusion Fund, emphasizes that healthcare is currently in “prime time for innovation,” and that the core goal of the future will be “improve quality of life, truly personalised the future of healthcare, and provide ultra-early long-term diagnosis.”
AI as a catalyst for regenerative and personalized medicine
Citing the recent launch of ARC Institute's EVO 2 AI model designed to understand and generate genetic codes, Chan pointed to advances in digital diagnostics powered by AI on conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and mental health.
ARC researchers recently published Prilints, which demonstrate that their gene editing techniques can implement widespread changes in the human genome. This is something that other gene editing techniques cannot achieve.
She also notes a recent exhibit in which researchers featured three centimeters of heartbeat produced from IPS cells, referring to the promises of new digital treatments and regenerative medicine.
These types of innovation can change the way practitioners approach health and wellness. Eric Hoskins, partner at Maverix Private Equity, has provided a more cautious yet ultimately optimistic perspective, poised to instantly transform AI-guided personalized medicine into abrupt, immediate healthcare as one of the “fast exercisers.”
However, there was a consensus that challenges remained, especially when it came to navigating the regulatory environment and addressing the issue of persistent data segregation within healthcare.
Dr. Victorally, a Canadian health care physician and renowned leader who previously served as president and CEO of Fraser Health Authority, sought a critical shift from a reactive “disease care” model to a more aggressive and aigemented model focusing on prevention, personalization and long-term well-being.
She argued that the large-scale healthcare data output (30% of global data) is an underutilized resource.
Zhang agreed, adding that less than 5% of the data currently in use added. This is primarily due to privacy compliance concerns and could also be mitigated by the use of AI.
Coupled with a global shortage of healthcare workers, Lee presented AI as a key enabler of this transformation, arguing that it is essential to improve both the efficiency of healthcare operations and the effectiveness of healthcare professionals. Her most compelling vision is the implementation of precision health through digital twins and AI agents.
Cancer treatment as a testbed for change
AI is already being used to personalize cancer treatments and reduce travel barriers through distributed platforms. Another panel featuring James Lumsdaine, CEO of HealthTech Company Avitia, featured the company's AI-powered molecular diagnostic platform that supports cancer testing distributed through a simple blood draw. The technology has already been deployed in seven countries and handles over 40,000 tests.
The platform, validated in Canada, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, reduces treatment time from weeks to days, improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Avitia's initiative aims to make cancer a manageable chronic condition and advocates for improving access to precision care and advanced diagnosis at or near the point of care for patients.
“The ability of patients to receive personalized care for cancer is no longer limited by their travel capabilities and the location they are based,” explained Lumsdaine, laying out his vision for the company's role in medical innovation.
Opportunities, strategies, and real world fit
Like AI-driven healthcare, the growing breakthrough requires investment and infrastructure as regulations evolve. During his remarks on the Web Summit, AI researcher and author Gary Marcus said biology is naturally fit in AI, particularly protein interaction modeling and drug development.
In the “Smart Money for 2025” panel, FPV venture Wesley Chan pointed to life science space as a sector where AI has the most clear potential for real productivity improvements.
He argued that the convergence of biology and AI represents a generational opportunity for investors, citing companies like Strand Therapeutics, which used AI to develop new mRNA cancer treatments.
Tom Beigala, founding partner at Bison Ventures, told journalist Anne Gaviola, moderator of the HealthTech Investment Checkup panel, that AI and next-generation computing technology are driving innovation across the health system to optimize data use and increase clinical productivity, making drug discovery easier and more cost-effective.
Bison is investing in early-stage frontier high-tech companies, with its portfolio spanning advanced pre-clinical and advanced pre-clinical testing life science tools and synthetic biological applications that address a wider range of public health challenges.
Outside of AI, Beigara has used intensive ultrasound technology to reveal his interest in the field of non-invasive cancer surgery. This fast-growing field uses technologies that are often enhanced by AI for precise targeting. He pointed to an unnamed company that is rumoured to be involved in the acquisition debate for a multi-billion dollar valuation.
On her side, Zhang emphasized that the Fusion Fund focuses on AI-driven healthcare solutions that increase workflow efficiency. She also pointed to physical AI, particularly surgical robots, as a promising area within medicine, focusing on the potential to enable a more non-invasive and microinvasive surgical approach.
However, while the landscape of opportunity is expanding, panelists emphasized that deploying these innovations requires a clear understanding of the structural complexity of healthcare systems.
Beigala emphasized that the success of AI applications in HealthTech requires a deeper understanding of existing incentives and workflows in the health system, including doctor billing and how insurance companies operate.
He also warned that AI is merely a tool and must be strategically integrated to avoid unintended consequences and ensure that it truly fits with established practices.
Beyond these challenges, Chan touched on external regulatory hurdles and cited the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration process as a key hurdle for innovation and entry into the market. However, she expressed optimism that the institution's AI investigation could ultimately accelerate and streamline the approval process.
Filling the gap in imagination
The promise of AI to revolutionize healthcare cannot be denied, but it is simply a matter of technology development.
The conversations at Web Summit reminded us that collaboration, trust and data governance are also necessary for the future of healthcare. Together, these elements can pave the way for a healthcare landscape that has been deeply reshaped by AI.
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Securities Disclosure: Me, Meagen Sita, does not hold direct investment interest in the companies mentioned in this article.
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