Consider the case where Alexa becomes a common and useful part of the health-care ecosystem, leading to better-coordinated, higher-quality care for the Alexa user. In this situation, could the social divide between socioeconomic groups related to health-care access become even deeper?

Amazon’s Alexa AI virtual assistant is typically used to play music, answer questions, schedule tasks and appointments, shop, and manage smart home devices. In 2019, Alexa was certified as compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), a federal law requiring the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. Developing the proper physical, administrative, and technical safeguards needed to keep health information secure has allowed Alexa to expand into health care. For example, Alexa has expanded into senior and assisted living communities. In addition to setting reminders to manage daily living activities such as grooming, homemaking, and leisure, Alexa has helped people manage health-care tasks in novel ways. Thus, Alexa is thriving in a fast-changing market. Being able to manage daily tasks and health care by voice can potentially benefit everyone. But there are multiple concerns on this front. And doing so through global tech giant Amazon invites additional ethical concerns such as whether and when the pursuit of profits trumps the goal of enhancing health care for Alexa users.