Indian Company Launches Chatbot That Answers Health-Related Questions

Lupin, an Indian company that produces medicine, has launched a new chatbot that can answer health-related inquiries. The new chatbot is called ANYA. Its name means “infinite” in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. ANYA is the first chatbot in India that was developed to make medically-proven information accessible to patients anytime. ANYA is artificial intelligence-based and communicates through chat. The chatbot is not designed to replace a doctor’s diagnosis. Instead, it aims to provide information that will serve as a supplement to doctors’ advice in managing patients’ health conditions. Currently, ANYA is hosted by Facebook Messenger. There are two ways to start communicating with ANYA. First, users may search @askanyabot on Facebook Messenger to start using the chatbot. Another way is to go to Lupin’s Facebook page named Shaping Health, where ANYA’s chat box automatically pops up. Soon, ANYA will have its own Facebook page where users can easily access ANYA’s chat box. According to Lupin president Rajeev Sibal, launching ANYA is the company’s first step in making AI-based chatbot available for both patients and medical practitioners, especially for those in rural areas. Sibal believes in the potential of chatbots in providing medical assistance and promoting disease awareness. Furthermore, he views ANYA as a groundbreaking move that can positively influence the future of disease management. At present, ANYA provides only diabetes-related information. In the future, Lupin plans to expand the chatbot so that it can answer queries about a wide variety of diseases and other health conditions.