Microsoft's AI wants to be your medical middleman, but is a "Secure by Design" promise really enough for Copilot?

Would you trust AI with your medical information? That's the question that many will ask when seeing the announcement of a new tool from Microsoft called Copilot Health.

But I'm here to tell you that people already trust AI with their health information, so the first question many will come up with is moot — or at least not the most important question.

There are two main questions: can Copilot Health help people who already turn to AI tools, and can Microsoft be the specific company people trust with their medical data?

The fragmentation fix

Copilot Health gathers together medical data from multiple sources to provide context and battle against fragmentation. Health records, wearable data, and health history can all be brought into the tool.

Over 50 wearable devices, including Apple Health, Oura, and Fitbit, can feed data into Copilot Health. Health records from over 50,000 hospitals in the United States also provide information such as visit summaries, medication lists, and test results.

In its announcement post, Microsoft explained that "Copilot Health doesn’t replace your doctor." The company emphasized that the tool "makes every minute you have with them count more."

Data often comes into the hands of medical professionals in pieces. Copilot can gather that information together to provide context and help experts see the entire picture.

"Our health data is so fragmented. It's a bit like having your health as a puzzle, but then scattering all the pieces," said Dr. Xiao Liu, MD PhD, Clinical Research.

"Being able to join all of that gives us a more complete picture of what's affecting your health."

Copilot Health uses information from health organizations across 50 countries. Responses generated by the tool will include citations and links to source material as well as answer cards from Harvard Health.

Improving access to healthcare data

Copilot Health is also about expanding access to medical information and expertise. "If we're serious about... health as a human right, we need to have it in a forum and a platform that can reach everyone," said Dr. Vik Sounderajah, MD MSC, Clinical Product.

Copilot Health also makes it easier to find a doctor who accepts your insurance if you're in the United States.

"A well-designed AI system can combine the breadth of knowledge of a generalist physician with a deep domain knowledge of a specialist." Dr. Chris Kelly, MD PhD, Clinical Product

Gathering data and providing contextualized care can improve the quality of healthcare and streamline efficiency, which could result in more patients being seen.

People already ask the web about their health

The reality is that people are already asking AI and web tools health-related questions. I'm not here to argue about the state of healthcare systems around the world. I'm just stating a fact; people rely on the web for answers about important health questions.

Microsoft's 2025 Copilot Usage Report revealed that the company already responds to 50 million health queries per day. That's just one company. I'm sure the number is much higher if you grouped questions asked to Google and AI tools from other companies.

If people are going to rely on the web and AI tools to answer health-related questions, it's important to have tools that use reliable information and that are grounded in sound sources.

Security vs. Medical Utility

I understand and agree with concerns about feeding medical information into AI tools. Your personal health data is as private as anything about you, so there needs to be guardrails and protections in place.

If Microsoft can ensure the security and privacy of information fed into Copilot Health, it could be an invaluable tool to medical experts.

When using AI for anything, it's important to have a human confirm results and look through the data. When looking at medical information for real people, that process becomes even more important.

Microsoft's video outlining Copilot Health emphasizes a goal of getting people to the right medical experts or doctors.

Any medical insight generated by Copilot Health would be overshadowed by insecure data storage or management. Microsoft called the tool "Safe and Secure by Design" and explained that Copilot Health conversations and data are isolated from general Copilot.

Safeguards have been put in place, and encryption is used to protect data as well.

Microsoft is leaning hard on "Safe and Secure by Design" here, and while isolation from general Copilot is a start, we have to look at the track record. It’s hard to ignore that the same company asking for your hospital records is the one that’s dealt with high-profile breaches, such as those reported on by Geekwire, and zero-day exploits over the last few years.

Shortly after findings by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella penned a post titled, "Prioritizing security above all else."

That post used the same "Secure by Design" phrase that's seen in the Copilot Health announcement post. "If you’re faced with the tradeoff between security and another priority, your answer is clear: Do security," said Nadella.

🤔 Would you trust Microsoft, specifically, with your medical data?

Less than two years after that post, Microsoft is now asking people to send medical data to Copilot Health. Does Microsoft's commitment to "Secure by Design" make you comfortable enough to share your medical data with Copilot Health? Let us know in the comments below and share your thoughts about AI and healthcare.

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