Healthcare AI today: $81M acquisition, Illinois says no to AI therapy, AI glucose cleared, more

News and views you ought to know about: 

Precision medicine company buys AI cancer diagnostic tech for $81.25M. AI-based precision medicine developer Tempus AI is scooping up Paige, another healthcare AI company that works on cancer diagnostics. The buyout has a price tag of $81.25 million, the companies said in a joint announcement. Paige’s technology aids pathologists and researchers in the detection of cancer, where Tempus works on targeted treatment plans—it seems like a good match. Tempus said Paige’s robust datasets were a motivation for the purchase, as they will be used to develop better cancer therapies. The diagnostics company is said to have a unique trove that includes nearly seven million digitized slide images, as well as de-identified, diverse data from people living in 45 countries. 

• What’s being said: “We are confident this partnership is uniquely positioned to maximise and expand the reach of our technology, ensuring it fulfills our mission of delivering powerful, data-driven insights.” - Paige CEO and CTO Razik Yousfi. 
   
• More details: Paige currently has a deal with Microsoft for the use of Azure cloud services. Tempus said it will be responsible for fulfilling that agreement, as the existing agreement will be taken on as part of the purchase.
   
• Did you know? Paige has been around since 2017 and its technology was the first-ever AI tool in pathology to be cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

FDA clears AI-powered glucose monitoring app. The clearance marks a first for an over-the-counter tool in this category. The system, which uses AI to translate fluctuations in blood glucose levels into personalized recommendations for living a healthier life, is developed by Signos. The app works in conjunction with monitors placed on the body, which gather real-time metabolic data. Metrics such as diet, exercise, and sleep habits are taken into account by the AI, all in an effort to support weight loss and overall health for people with diabetes—and those looking to stave it off. It’s available now at Signos’s website. 

• Signos was formed in 2018. Its claim to fame is its proprietary continuous glucose monitoring AI, used in this FDA-cleared application. 
   
• The app can be used on a smart device, and it costs between $129 and $139 a month. All necessary glucose monitors are provided by the company, with the cost included in the monthly subscription.

In Illinois, Meta AI is not allowed to be your therapist. The state has banned the use of AI in mental and behavioral healthcare, outside of deploying it in an administrative capacity. The Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act (HB1806)—signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker—forbids anyone to use AI to provide mental health treatment, such as through a chatbot, and additionally bans its use in “therapeutic decision-making,” an announcement from the governor’s office stated. Licensed clinicians are still free to use the tech to support patient care, as long as any actual treatment and counseling is conducted by a real person. The state passed the law, arguing it was necessary to protect consumers from low-quality AI apps that offer algorithm-driven mental health counseling and do little more than mine for data. Violators will be hit with steep $10,000 fines.

• Lawmakers argue that the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act will also protect the jobs of licensed, trained behavioral health therapists whose positions are threatened by easy-to-access smartphone apps run by cynical profiteers. 
   
• The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly, and the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter, all had a hand in crafting the initial bill. 
   
• The law went into effect immediately after being signed on Aug. 4.

GPT-5 is less of a pushover. Changes have come to ChatGPT with the launch of 5.0. One of the top concerns since 4.0 has been the system's tendency to be agreeable and sycophantic, particularly when asked to judge something a user submitted. While 5.0 was released with the intention of being less flowery and personal with its language, that didn’t entirely solve the problem. Instead, it just made users on the unofficial Reddit forum feel as if they’d lost a friend. Developer OpenAI may have found a middle ground. Earlier this month, ChatGPT was loaded with adjustable “personalities” that users can cater to themselves—meaning the AI will be more or less overtly flattering, based on individual preference. 

• OpenAI said GPT-5 has been given four distinct personas: Cynic, Robot, Listener and Nerd. The company said all four are equipped with an adjuster bar to reduce sycophancy. These were officially released on Aug. 10, but more updates and tweaks are likely on the way. GPT-5 has seen a steady stream of modifications since launch, most of which are a direct response to feedback from users. 
   
• The company maintains that 5.0 worships users less often than 4.0: "Overall, GPT‑5 is less effusively agreeable, uses fewer unnecessary emojis, and is more subtle and thoughtful in follow‑ups compared to GPT‑4o," OpenAI wrote. "It should feel less like 'talking to AI' and more like chatting with a helpful friend with PhD‑level intelligence."
   

From AIin.Healthcare’s sibling outlets:
 

• Radiology Business: Imaging-guided surgery startup Method AI raises $20M in Series A financing
   
• Health Imaging: AI-enabled devices lacking validation data prior to FDA clearance more likely to be recalled