Loblaws, through its PC Health pharmacy arm, has launched a new AI chatbot focused entirely on answering users’ health questions.
Named PC Chat, the company describes it as a free, AI-powered health tool based on Canadian clinical guidelines, “providing Canadians a convenient place to ask health questions and get plain-language information in real time.”
Loblaws says that PC Chat is grounded in more than 1,000 Canadian clinical sources that have been “reviewed and validated for Canadian healthcare relevance, reliability, and inclusivity.” Medical professionals from the company’s Clinical AI Advisory Committee also helped develop the chatbot and had a say in how it works, the information it relies on, and how it guides people toward next steps.
Loblaws added that the PC Chat platform “will never replace doctors, pharmacists, or other healthcare providers, but Canadians deserve more options — a tool based on Canadian medical guidelines, with oversight from Canadian health professionals.”
On privacy, Loblaws says the chat conversations are stored in Canada and protected by Canadian privacy laws.
To celebrate the launch of PC Chat, Loblaws’ PC Health launched a campaign using drones over the city of Toronto last week, which ironically got people talking about the sudden (and massive) advertisement and its legality.
PC Chat comes amid a wider AI push in health. OpenAI launched a health portal in ChatGPT earlier this year, while Google recently overhauled its Fitbit platform with new branding and a focus on AI coaching.
At the same time, AI could prove dangerous in the health space, thanks to its penchant for making stuff up or, worse, repeating medical misinformation. It can also be particularly dangerous in mental health contexts. Further, we’ve seen AI chatbots linked to a number of suicides and shootings in recent years, including the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in B.C. earlier this year.
The PC Chat website notes that the chatbot “does not diagnose, prescribe, treat, or make clinical decisions” and warns that it’s “intended for information purposes only.” While those details are buried in the FAQ and fine print at the bottom of the page, the PC Chat interface also notes at the top of every chat that “Responses may contain mistakes and are not a substitute for professional medical advice.”
On first use, PC Chat also asks users to agree to the terms and conditions, which note that the tool is not to be used by those under the age of 18, and that responses “are not medical advice.”
The new AI-powered health chat is available now in most provinces on the PC Health and Shoppers Drug Mart apps and websites. In New Brunswick and Quebec, it will launch later this fall alongside the French-language version.
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