Getting medical advice in China has never been easier. With a simple tap on a smartphone and a quick conversation, an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant can provide an instant initial diagnosis based on the clinical expertise of China's leading medical professionals.
This AI-powered app comes from an app called AQ, which was showcased at the World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit in eastern China's Zhejiang Province. Han Xinyi, CEO of Ant Group, shared the group's initial goal in developing the app while speaking at a digital health-focused sub-forum in Wuzhen on Saturday (November 8th).
"We know minor issues can be handled at local clinics, but the desire to consult with specialists at major hospitals remains," she said, adding that the app is designed to make quality medical services accessible to as many people as possible.
Han's remarks highlight the stark reality of the unequal distribution of medical resources in China. In response to this long-standing challenge, the Chinese government has launched a series of initiatives to improve the capacity of primary healthcare institutions. These efforts are now poised to accelerate with China's rapid advancements in AI and new policies to integrate this technology into the healthcare system.
Building on the momentum, Ant Group is launching its AI-powered AQ app in June 2025. Interestingly, the app is trained using the collective clinical expertise of China's leading doctors. In addition to providing services such as AI-assisted consultations and test report analysis, the app can also serve as an assistant for doctors, according to Han.
While AQ focused on online consultations, another star of the summit, an AI-powered massage robot, is redefining face-to-face therapy with cutting-edge precision and comfort.
Developed by EaseFuture, the AI-Powered Massage Robot can accurately identify 74 acupuncture points on the back in just three seconds, mimicking the techniques of experienced human therapists, according to Zhiyong Yu, founder and CEO of EaseFuture.
The robots are already operating in senior care centers and wellness hotels in 76 percent of China's provincial-level regions, and have provided more than 350,000 massage sessions to date, Yu told Xinhua.
Chinese scientists and entrepreneurs are also starting to focus on a seemingly less glamorous area: sleep.
In the subforum, Lu Lin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and director of the national medical center for mental disorders, envisioned a future in which AI-powered beds and pillows could monitor a person's rest, play soothing music, and even transform into robots that perform chest compressions and summon a doctor in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.
He revealed that several companies have already begun directing their research efforts toward AI-assisted sleep.
Lu expressed his hope that in the future, every village and community will have access to an "AI doctor" capable of addressing common public health issues. However, he emphasized that AI cannot replace doctors in the short term and can only serve as an assistant to human doctors.
When asked about the challenges in promoting intelligent healthcare solutions, Yu acknowledged that high production costs remain a major barrier to widespread adoption.
"It will take time before these robots become common household devices," he said. "However, I am optimistic that as the product and supply chain mature, AI-powered massage robots will find their way into more everyday scenarios, truly making the benefits of technology accessible to everyone."