Utah expanded its first-in-the-nation artificial intelligence pilot program on October 5, 2026, approving five companies, including Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health, to provide clinical AI services that normally require a state license. The program, run with Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence, gives patients in the state access to the new applications.

A temporary exemption from state rules allows the companies to offer AI-assisted prescription renewals for chronic illnesses, visual assessments for acne medication and initial physical therapy recommendations. Each service must disclose when AI is handling the process. Intermountain Health CEO Rob Allen said the regulated pilot is intended to test whether the tools work effectively and keep patients safe, with third-party evaluators monitoring the companies.

At Monday’s Capitol announcement, Stanford physician and researcher Nirav Shah said around 3-in-10 Americans already consult AI about health concerns each month, and called Utah’s program a model other states and Washington, D.C., could replicate. Shah said there is currently no federal or state pathway for companies to work with regulators on safely rolling out AI health products.

Some app changes for Utah users are already available. Nolla Health, an AI dermatology startup, released a Utah-only app version that lets users navigate the product without waiting for clinicians working behind the scenes to respond. August, an AI chatbot that connects users with licensed doctors, added free automatic refills for routine, non-controlled medications for Utah users.

Six independent evaluators will review evidence from the clinical pilots to determine whether they are safe and effective. VegaHealth CEO Mark Sendak said clinical tools carry higher stakes and need stronger evidence to earn the trust of health systems and patients. Utah’s program centers partly on how liability law should apply to doctors involved in care processes that use AI.

Utah created its Office of Artificial Intelligence in 2023 as the first state office with authority to draft liability mitigation agreements with AI firms. Following a pilot period, the office proposes regulations based on industry feedback. The process led to 2025 laws governing mental health chatbots, expanding bans on AI misuse of personal identity and requiring AI disclosures from certain businesses. Utah Commerce Director Margaret Woolley Busse said the state has not settled where to draw the line on clinical AI, but wants a human involved somewhere.

Utah expanded its first-in-the-nation artificial intelligence pilot program on October 5, 2026, approving five companies, including Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health, to provide clinical AI services that normally require a state license. The program, run with Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence, gives patients in the state access to the new applications.

A temporary exemption from state rules allows the companies to offer AI-assisted prescription renewals for chronic illnesses, visual assessments for acne medication and initial physical therapy recommendations. Each service must disclose when AI is handling the process. Intermountain Health CEO Rob Allen said the regulated pilot is intended to test whether the tools work effectively and keep patients safe, with third-party evaluators monitoring the companies.

At Monday’s Capitol announcement, Stanford physician and researcher Nirav Shah said around 3-in-10 Americans already consult AI about health concerns each month, and called Utah’s program a model other states and Washington, D.C., could replicate. Shah said there is currently no federal or state pathway for companies to work with regulators on safely rolling out AI health products.

Some app changes for Utah users are already available. Nolla Health, an AI dermatology startup, released a Utah-only app version that lets users navigate the product without waiting for clinicians working behind the scenes to respond. August, an AI chatbot that connects users with licensed doctors, added free automatic refills for routine, non-controlled medications for Utah users.

Six independent evaluators will review evidence from the clinical pilots to determine whether they are safe and effective. VegaHealth CEO Mark Sendak said clinical tools carry higher stakes and need stronger evidence to earn the trust of health systems and patients. Utah’s program centers partly on how liability law should apply to doctors involved in care processes that use AI.

Utah created its Office of Artificial Intelligence in 2023 as the first state office with authority to draft liability mitigation agreements with AI firms. Following a pilot period, the office proposes regulations based on industry feedback. The process led to 2025 laws governing mental health chatbots, expanding bans on AI misuse of personal identity and requiring AI disclosures from certain businesses. Utah Commerce Director Margaret Woolley Busse said the state has not settled where to draw the line on clinical AI, but wants a human involved somewhere.