The state has expanded its controversial healthcare AI program with three new pilots that could ultimately see the technology provide care plans and medications without human review.

Despite courting controversy, Utah is doubling down on its autonomous artificial intelligence experiments in healthcare, approving pilots that will eventually enable prescriptions to be issued and refilled without a clinician reviewing it.

On Friday, Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy approved a slate of new pilots, including one with Nolla Health, developer of a dermatology app that assesses acne from patients' photographs. The pilot will test whether the app can prescribe initial medications and refills from a short list of topical drugs to adults in Utah with mild-to-moderate acne. At first, two physicians will review every prescription before it is sent, but in later stages, they’ll only review the prescriptions after the fact.

They’re the latest healthcare AI experiments to be approved by regulators in Utah in spite of pushback from doctors and other stakeholders. Earlier this year, regulators launched a pilot that would allow an AI system developed by Doctronic to renew medications without clinician oversight.

Other pilots approved on Friday include those from companies like August AI, which will have an AI system renew prescriptions for people with chronic conditions. Another pilot from Expect Fitness will offer virtual pelvic floor therapy for women in the state to help with urinary incontinence, pelvic pain and postpartum pelvic floor problems.

In all three pilots, the companies will need written approval from regulators before moving into the later phases that could include less human oversight.

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