Special Topics: AI Innovation in the Healthcare Sector
Course Information
Course Number
HCI Undergraduate:
05-499 E
HCI Graduate:
05-899 E
Course Description
This course explores why most AI innovations targeting the healthcare sector have failed to be impactful. It will equip students to envision new AI healthcare innovations that avoid the most common breakdowns: requires unachievable model performance, does not address real healthcare challenges (no adoption), costs more than it can generate in revenue, violates current healthcare policies, not trusted or acceptable by clinicians, or introduces an AI ethical risk.
This course combines directed readings and discussions about AI and healthcare. It also has a project component where students working on interdisciplinary teams envision and pitch innovations. The course will provide an overview of US healthcare context, policy, and economics; how AI innovations have targeted healthcare; and AI innovation processes that are suited for healthcare innovation.
By the end of this course, students will be able to effectively identify opportunities where AI systems can co-create service and user value within healthcare.
Semester Offered and Units
Semester:
Fall 2025
Undergraduate:
12
units
Graduate:
12
units
Skills
This course needs students with backgrounds in data science/tech, business, policy, healthcare, and design. Students should have 1 or 2 of the following skills:
- Familiarity with user-centered design, matchmaking, service design, lean startup (MVP) or other tech innovation process
- Basic understanding of AI capabilities
- Understanding of US healthcare context, economics, and policy
- Ability to pitch ideas to VCs or senior managers