Diagnosis (general) · AI doctors and chatbots
Microsoft's MAI-DxO: AI 'panel of doctors' on hard cases
In June 2025 Microsoft reported MAI-DxO, an AI system that works through difficult published case studies step by step. It scored much higher than doctors in a test Microsoft designed. It's a preprint, not peer-reviewed, and was tested on case records, not patients.
How far away is this?
A non-peer-reviewed preprint on case records. We rate it Early research because there's published data, but it's the weakest kind.
Where is it approved?
| Region | Regulator | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | FDA | Not approved | Research demonstration; not a product. |
| European Union | CE mark / EMA | Not approved | Research demonstration; not a product. |
| United Kingdom | MHRA | Not approved | Research demonstration; not a product. |
| Australia | TGA | Not approved | Research demonstration; not a product. |
A research demonstration, not a product. "Unknown" means we haven't verified it, not that it's unavailable. Approval in one country isn't approval in another.
What is it?
MAI-DxO sets several AI 'roles' to debate a case, order tests and reach a diagnosis, while tracking the cost of tests.
What's the evidence?
Microsoft's paper, written by its own researchers, built a benchmark from 304 New England Journal of Medicine case records and reported MAI-DxO reaching up to 85.5% accuracy in its best setup. These are selected teaching cases, chosen because they're unusually hard, so they aren't typical of everyday medicine.[1]
Evidence stage: Early research · #c1
The 21 physicians in the comparison (from the US and UK) averaged 20% accuracy, but they worked without colleagues, textbooks or other usual resources, which isn't how real practice works.[1]
Evidence stage: Early research · #c2
Microsoft describes it as research, not a clinical tool.[2]
Evidence stage: Announced only · #c3
What does it mean for me?
Headlines about AI 'beating doctors' 4 to 1 come from this kind of test. It's interesting, but it doesn't tell us how it would do with you.
What could I ask my doctor?
- How do you use AI tools, if at all, in your practice?
- If my diagnosis is unclear, what are the next steps?
These are general starting points, not a recommendation to choose any particular test or treatment.
Change history
- : First published.
- : Updated after independent fact-check and clinical review
- : Review label corrected: this page was not clinically reviewed. Earlier labels saying 'independent fact-check' and 'clinical review' were wrong; checks so far were AI-assisted source checks only.
General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your situation. AI-assisted source check. Not clinically reviewed.
References
- Nori et al., arXiv preprint (2025). arxiv.org (2025). Preprint (not peer-reviewed). https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.22405
- Microsoft AI: The path to medical superintelligence. microsoft.ai. Company document (claim). https://microsoft.ai/story/the-path-to-medical-superintelligence/
Publisher shown as the website hosting each source. Dates are given where the source label includes them.