AI DOCTOR BOOTH AT THE MALL CLOSES WITHOUT WARNING, PATIENTS ADVISED TO EMAIL
What actually happened: Forward, the startup behind AI 'doctor-in-a-box' CarePods, shuts down abruptly
IDIOCRACY LEVEL: 9/10
Forward, a San Francisco health startup that raised about $400 million, shut down effective immediately in November 2024. Its CarePods were AI-powered self-service health kiosks placed in malls, gyms and offices, and its closure cost nearly 200 people their jobs.
Medical news now. In 2024 a company built self-service doctor boxes and put them in shopping malls and gyms, so citizens could get a checkup between the food court and the shoe store. The company raised roughly 400 million dollars, reached a billion-dollar valuation, and then closed overnight, taking its app offline. Former members were told to email the medical team for help until mid-December. Analysts say the booths were only one software update away from telling patients to push the button with the picture on it.