AI Is Becoming a Commercial Determinant of Health

AI’s influence on health is no longer confined to clinical tools. In a new BMJ Analysis, Bavli and colleagues argue that AI is transforming the commercial determinants of health: commercial actors can analyse personal data, tailor persuasive messages and disseminate them through algorithm-driven platforms at unprecedented scale.

At the same time, AI companies are not merely technology providers. Their growing economic and political power can shape regulation, public policy and the circulation of health information. The governance challenge therefore extends beyond model accuracy, bias and clinical safety. It includes transparency, data use, conflicts of interest, advertising standards, platform accountability and public-interest oversight.