TECH

Ant Group Teams up With Top Beijing Hospital to Launch AI Healthcare Lab

Published: Aug. 23, 2025 3:00 a.m. GMT+8

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A Department of Hepatological Surgery Clinic sign in a Beijing hospital. Photo: Wang Lei

Ant Group Co. Ltd. is accelerating its push into healthcare artificial intelligence (AI), through a new partnership with one of China’s leading hospitals.

On Friday, the Alibaba-affiliated fintech giant announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH) to create an AI Healthcare Joint Innovation Laboratory focused on medical AI.

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Ant Group partnered with Peking University Third Hospital to launch an AI Healthcare Joint Innovation Laboratory focused on medical AI tools and multimodal models.
Early research will target diseases like colorectal cancer and reproductive medicine, with planned AI-assisted diagnostic and patient service platforms.
Ant’s expanding healthcare AI initiative includes a hospital-specific AI agent and partnerships with several leading Chinese hospitals since 2023.

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Who’s Who

Ant Group Co. Ltd.: Ant Group Co. Ltd. is accelerating its healthcare AI efforts through a partnership with Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH) to form an AI Healthcare Joint Innovation Laboratory. This collaboration aims to develop AI-powered clinical tools and services, focusing on areas like colorectal cancer and endocrine disorders. The group also launched its AI health app, AQ, and plans to expand partnerships with hospitals to create a network of "hospital agents."

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What Happened When

2023：: Ant Group entered the healthcare AI field and partnered with hospitals including Shanghai’s Renji Hospital and Beijing Friendship Hospital.

2024：: Ant Group integrated an 'AI Health Assistant' into Alipay, offering more than 30 services.

June 2025：: Ant Group launched its standalone AI health app AQ.

2025：: Early research in the joint laboratory focuses on major diseases such as colorectal cancer, endocrine disorders, and reproductive medicine; initial testing in specialties like orthopedics and sports medicine is planned.

2025：: Ant and PUTH unveil plans for a hospital-specific AI agent to be integrated into AQ.

August 22, 2025：: Ant Group announced a strategic alliance with Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH) to create an AI Healthcare Joint Innovation Laboratory.

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