In a provocative conversation on the Heart of Healthcare podcast, Eric Jon Larsen—President of TowerBrook Advisors and former president of The Advisory Board Company—argues that U.S. healthcare may be the most unprepared sector for the generative AI revolution, despite being the one that needs it most. Larsen, a veteran healthcare strategist and investor, points out that no other industry combines so much unstructured data with so many labor inefficiencies.
He draws parallels between GenAI and transformative technologies like the microprocessor and the internet but emphasizes that unlike past tech waves, this one might finally force change in a healthcare system long resistant to reform. From the role of powerful incumbents (“the F-150”) to China’s sprint toward medical superintelligence, the conversation challenges assumptions about who will shape the future of care—insurgents or traditional institutions.
Larsen predicts GenAI will slash labor costs, unlock a century’s worth of biomedical discovery in a compressed timeline, and could even help humanity reach “longevity escape velocity.” But only if the U.S. healthcare system, with its $4.9 trillion weight, is willing to align incentives, rethink how data is used, and move fast.