Microsoft says its GPT-5-powered Diagnostic Orchestrator uses agents that mimic panels of experts to diagnose conditions up to 4x more accurately than doctors (Robert Hart/The Verge)

Microsoft's AI tool is reportedly exceeding the diagnostic capabilities of human doctors, according to CEO Mustafa Suleyman. In a recent publication in the prestigious journal Science, the company's Diagnostic Orchestrator system outperformed both generalist physicians and those working without references by a significant margin.

The AI system achieved an 83 percent diagnostic accuracy rate, compared to roughly 36 percent for human doctors using references, and 22 percent for those who do not use references. The Diagnostic Orchestrator, which leverages multiple AI agents to reason through symptoms and medical histories, not only surpasses human physicians in accuracy but also tends to reach its diagnoses at a lower estimated cost.

However, the researchers caution that further clinical validation is needed before the technology can be widely deployed, as the system has only been tested on past medical cases. Microsoft envisions AI playing a broader role in healthcare, encompassing tasks such as coordinating clinical care, making treatment decisions, and handling the human side of medicine.

The company plans to test the system in hospital settings to assess its performance in real-world clinical environments. While Suleyman predicts that AI will transform healthcare in the coming years, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining a human-centered approach to ensure patient care remains at the forefront.