It’s a “contrarian move” for the company as much of the industry remains wary of agentic AI, according to Zocdoc CEO Dr. Oliver Kharraz.

Some health tech companies are embracing AI agents with open arms while others sound alarms about privacy and governance risks. Zocdoc falls in the former camp, though the company touts its safeguards, including that it requires explicit patient consent before booking appointments.

Zocdoc says traffic from AI agents on its site has grown nearly 30-fold since July, reflecting a consumer appetite for AI. Embracing them, rather than shunning them, could help the company grow, according to the announcement.

AI agents can act autonomously, making complex multi-step decisions and solving problems with little human intervention. When Zocdoc approves an agent — through an application that can be filled out by a human or AI — it can plug into Zocdoc’s AI backend, enabling it to sift through the company’s provider directory.

It can then check a clinician’s availability, verify insurance and book an appointment, checking in with the patient before making any final decisions. The companies that run the agents have the ability to monetize the integration, incentivizing them to participate.

In return for access, Zocdoc expects agents to obtain patient consent and protect patient and provider data, according to the announcement. Agents are not allowed to train themselves based on the data, resell it or republish it. Zocdoc did not specify how it plans to ensure that agents respect that agreement.

To Kharraz, Zocdoc’s existing infrastructure was already primed for the addition of AI agents.

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