Trump administration officials use private chat to shape AI healthcare policy

Trump administration officials and tech industry leaders have been engaging in a private campaign to shape federal policy regarding artificial intelligence in healthcare. Through a Slack chat room that was not listed on the Food and Drug Administration’s public calendar or regulatory notices, officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have held listening sessions with representatives from at least 35 industry organizations.

Major technology companies, including Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, Apple, and Google, were invited to discuss conversational AI products, such as chatbots, designed for patient use. The discussions focus on a potential future where AI health apps are loosely regulated and eligible for government reimbursement, similar to medical professionals.

Legal experts have noted that the use of a private messaging service to shape guidance resembles a federal advisory panel, which would typically be required to operate in public view. While CMS officials have mentioned the chat room at industry conferences, it has not been formally announced through standard federal regulatory channels.