Artificial intelligence is redefining industries at an unprecedented pace—and healthcare is no exception. But as algorithms grow smarter and adoption accelerates, leaders face a pressing question: how do we embrace the possibilities of AI without losing the very human qualities—empathy, trust, connection—that define healthcare?
In Episode 5 of The Next Marketing with HJ, Amar Urhekar, CEO of Avalere Health, shared candid reflections on this balance. With decades of experience in healthcare marketing and strategy, Amar spoke about the opportunities AI presents, and the responsibility leaders hold in ensuring it serves patients, employees, and society at large.
The Role of Empathy in an AI World
For Amar, empathy is non-negotiable. He spoke of “radical empathy”—a principle he has long championed in healthcare leadership. AI, he argued, can be a force for leveling inequalities in access, clinical trials, and diagnosis by creating more standardized outcomes across geographies.
“Can AI take out the variables of geography, income, and infrastructure to give every patient the same chance at care?” he asked. “If it can, that’s empathy at scale.”
But he also reminded that machines cannot replace intent: “A bot is interested in providing a service. As leaders, we are invested in people’s success. That distinction will always matter.”
Learning to Unlearn
The conversation also turned to the challenges of adoption. Amar compared today’s AI moment to the digital revolution of the past decade. Progress, he noted, often requires unlearning entrenched ways of working.
“The leaders who are unwilling to adapt,” he said, “risk being left behind faster than ever before.”
This call to unlearn was coupled with a pragmatic view of risk appetite in healthcare: speed matters, but never at the expense of safety. “Even if one life is lost,” Amar said, “that will be too high a price to pay.”
Innovation in Resource-Constrained Environments
Drawing from his global experience, Amar pointed out that innovation often thrives in environments with limited resources. “When people don’t have enough, they dare more. They find breakthroughs.”
By blending the structured processes of developed economies with the scrappy ingenuity of emerging markets, he suggested, healthcare can accelerate responsible adoption of AI.
What AI Means for Affordability
Amar and Harshit also addressed affordability—one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare. Despite numerous support programs from manufacturers, utilization remains strikingly low. Amar sees AI as a potential solution, but not in isolation.
“If AI can drive efficiencies in manufacturing, clinical research, and drug discovery, costs will come down. But the entire ecosystem—pharma, technology, services—must act together to make healthcare truly affordable.”
The Human Connection AI Can’t Replace
In the Next Marketing Playbook segment, Amar emphasized one leadership practice that no technology can replicate: listening to people. “The twinkle and the tear in someone’s eye when sharing their story—AI will never give you that.”
Closing Thought
Reflecting on the conversation, host Harshit Jain offered this perspective:
“At Doceree, technology is just an enabler. Thinking is our people. Whether it’s AI or HI—human intelligence—the real impact comes from how we apply it to solve problems that matter. That’s where the future of healthcare marketing lies.”