Cohere launches AI health care agents in the U.S.
Canadian artificial intelligence company Cohere Inc. is entering the health care industry through a partnership with U.S.-based Ensemble Health Partners that uses AI agents to help hospitals and other providers manage their revenue.
Cohere, founded in 2019, uses large-language models to build chatbots and generative-AI platforms for enterprise customers to automate some tasks.
The partnership with Ensemble, launched Tuesday, uses a customized version of the North by Cohere platform that will run on health care providers' internal systems and help with tasks such as hospitals appealing insurance-claim denials and chasing down accounts receivable.
The company said pre-launch tests of the tools accelerated denial appeals by 40 per cent and improved denial overturn rates by 15 per cent.
Running on internal systems is a key part of how the AI system protects the safety of patients' information and complies with privacy law, said Cohere co-founder Ivan Zhang.
'There's no data leaving their system, because all the agents are in the house,' he said.
Because of those privacy concerns, Mr. Zhang said the AI has to be trained on synthetic data, which would be similar to real-world data in likeness and structure but without any protected personal information.
The foray into health-care follows Cohere's work in the financial sector, which has to adhere to similar privacy rules. In January, the company announced a partnership with Royal Bank of Canada to co-develop and run a customized platform called North for Banking which, among other things, helps employees answer questions from customers.
Mr. Zhang said Cohere is focused on the U.S. market for now, but hopes to have more to announce for Canadian health-care soon.
'So far, we are focused on the U.S. markets. We want to take these learnings and adapt it to different systems in Canada and globally,' he said.
Cohere did not disclose any financial terms or which U.S. clients are using the AI platform.
The company also received a nod Tuesday from new federal AI minister Evan Solomon.
In a speech in Ottawa, Mr. Solomon outlined the government's new approach to AI, saying it would shift from 'warnings and regulation' to celebrating industry 'champions' such as Cohere.
Mr. Zhang said he was 'delighted' by the support and said there was a strong case to be made that investments in AI were part of strengthening Canada's economy and security.
'We've been very happy about the government's engagement so far,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Guiding new Canadian families through Alberta health care
Calgary Watch Arriving in a new country can be hard enough, but trying to navigate the medical system as a newcomer can be almost impossible without help.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Ikea is recalling thousands of garlic presses sold in Canada
Ikea is asking Canadian customers who bought a specific kind of garlic press to stop using it because small metal pieces could detach and potentially be eaten. The Swedish home furnishing giant is recalling its Chinese-made black 365+ Vardefull garlic press. Affected customers can visit an Ikea Canada store and return the product for a full refund without requiring a receipt or any other proof of purchase, Alicia Carroll, public relations leader with Ikea Canada, wrote in an email to on Wednesday. A 'production error' caused the problem after it conducted an 'internal investigation,' according to Ikea on its website Wednesday. 'IKEA apologizes for any inconvenience this recall may cause,' it wrote, noting that customer safety is a top priority and all its products are tested and comply with applicable standards and legislation. How to identify affected products The product was sold in Canada with the article numbers 305.781.89 and 201.521.58. In other countries, it was sold under article number 601.636.02. Ikea recall logo marking Ikea recall logo marking The products have date stamps from 2411 to 2522, with the first two digits indicating the year and the last two digits being the week of the year. Carroll said the article number and date stamp would be found on the original packaging, or the affected products can be identified by a marking on the upper handle. How many products are affected? Ikea reported that 10,712 affected products were sold in Canada, according to Health Canada's advisory online about the recall. It said they were sold from April 2024 to May 2025. Ikea has received no reports of incidents or injuries in Canada as of June 9, according to the recall. Globally, the company received three reports of incidents involving minor hand injuries, such as a scratch or a splinter. Ikea advises customers to spread the word about the recall, particularly if they know whether it was lent or sold to someone else. 'Please note that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act prohibits recalled products from being redistributed, sold or even given away in Canada,' Health Canada added. Health Canada encourages customers to report any health and safety incidents related to using this product or any other items by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form. Where to get more information Not sure whether you have an affected product? If that's the case, Ikea says you can still return any black 365+ Vardefull garlic press and get a refund. Visit or phone IKEA toll-free at 1-800-661-9807 for more information.
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta Premier grilled on province's coal policy at rowdy, angry town hall
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and three of her ministers got an earful on Wednesday night from southern Alberta locals at a rowdy, hours-long town hall to discuss the province's coal policy. About 500 people, dressed in cowboy hats, belt buckles, and jeans, packed a community hall in Fort Macleod, Alta., for an event marked by heckling, competing applause and placards. 'If we are not prepared to look and find middle-ground solutions to allow for industries to proceed while reducing our environmental footprint, you're going to find that different industries become the next on the hit list,' Smith said through a chorus of protesting voices and verbal jabs. 'Banning industries is just not something we are going to do.' The premier and her ministers of energy, environment and agriculture took questions and were shouted down on several occasions by attendees as they defended changes to the province's coal policy. Many in the crowd held small placards reading 'lie' and 'false,' raising them each time they disagreed with a statement. There was a notable group that came in support of the province's coal policy, frequently applauding the ministers and shooting back at other crowd members. Many attendees carried notebooks and pens, keenly taking notes throughout. The town hall came weeks after the Alberta Energy Regulator, or AER, granted an Australia-based coal company permission to start a controversial coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Northback Holding Corp.'s project at Grassy Mountain was initially rejected in 2021 when a panel ruled that the likely environmental effects on fish and water quality outweighed the potential economic benefits. Alberta regulator approves controversial coal exploration applications at Grassy Mountain Late last year, the project was exempted from the Alberta government's decision to ban open-pit coal mines because Northback's application was considered an 'advanced' proposal. The issue has been polarizing in southern Alberta, where the debate has primarily revolved around the economic implications of development against environmental effects. A non-binding referendum in Crowsnest Pass saw 70 per cent of voters saying they'd support the nearby coal project. Despite frequent pushback over the two-and-a-half-hour event, Smith rarely chose to get into back-and-forth discussions with attendees. She defended the province's approach to coal developments, pitching responsible development that prioritizes environmental standards. Smith also frequently cited a lawsuit by five coal companies that say they're owed $15 billion by the province in lost revenues and sunk costs. She argued again on Wednesday that she had taxpayers in mind when the province lifted its moratorium on coal mining and development on the eastern slopes. 'If we do nothing, then we are told we'll likely lose those cases and have to pay ($15 billion).' An energetic Brian Jean, the province's energy minister, frequently challenged the boisterous crowd and at times trotted offstage to hand his business card to those asking questions. 'I live in the oilsands. You can't tell me what I'm concerned about and what I'm not concerned about. I'm very concerned about our earth and our planet,' he said. Coal mines on Alberta's eastern slopes are poisoning fish populations, study says Several questions returned to a new study by Alberta government scientists, yet to be peer reviewed, which recently said old coal mines on the eastern slopes are poisoning fish and any further coal mining there would result in 'population collapse' of fish species in a nearby lake. Asked about the report, Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said the province is looking into the issue and is waiting for it to be confirmed by the peer-review process. She said further studies to be released later this year are being conducted. 'We want to understand what is happening there so that we can prevent that from happening in the future.' The premier also jousted with protesters while speaking to reporters before the town hall. When a group gathered behind her and started yelling, she turned around and asked them to let her finish the interview. 'I'm looking for a little bit of courtesy,' she said. The event was scheduled to last two hours, but Smith asked to take questions for an extra 30 minutes after the clock had run out.
