Hims & Hers Makes a Bold AI Move, Hiring Auto Tech Exec to Lead the Charge
In a surprising—and pretty fascinating—turn, Hims & Hers, the well-known digital health and wellness platform, has reached beyond its own industry to boost its artificial intelligence capabilities. And where did they look? Not within healthcare or traditional tech. Instead, they turned to the world of autonomous vehicles.
Yes, really.
If you’re asking, “What does self-driving car technology have to do with telehealth?”—well, you’re not alone. But this move could give us a glimpse into where digital health might be headed next. Let’s unpack what this all means—and why it matters.
New Leadership with a New Lens
On May 8, 2025, Hims & Hers officially announced that they hired Matthew Downing, a longtime executive from the autonomous vehicle industry, to lead their AI development strategy. Downing played a key role at Motional, a self-driving car company, where he helped build some of its most advanced AI systems. Now, he’s bringing that cutting-edge experience to the world of online health.
CEO Andrew Dudum said the company wasn’t just looking for healthcare experience—they were seeking someone who understood how to design systems that could constantly learn, adapt, and operate at scale. And according to Dudum, the answer wasn’t found in a hospital or pharmacy. It was found behind the wheel of software built for autonomous vehicles.
Why would a car exec join a health company?
Let’s face it: On the surface, this might seem like mixing apples and oranges. But when you look a little more closely, there’s actually a lot of overlap between AI in healthcare and AI in transportation. Both require:
- Real-time decision making
- Massive amounts of data analysis
- Predictive modeling to anticipate outcomes
- High-stakes accuracy
Think about it like this: Just as a self-driving car needs to respond to unpredictable traffic patterns, a digital health platform needs to understand and respond to the unique, real-time health needs of each patient. It’s all about using AI not only to automate but to actually improve user experiences and outcomes. That’s where Downing’s background could come in handy.
How Hims & Hers Plans to Use AI
We all know AI is becoming a big deal in nearly every industry—but how exactly does it plug into healthcare? And more specifically, how will Hims & Hers use it to improve what they do?
Here’s what we know so far: Hims & Hers isn’t just looking to add chatbots to their site or automate their emails. No, this is a much bigger bet. They want to build what CEO Dudum describes as an “AI-native platform.”
In other words, from your first interaction all the way through getting a treatment plan, AI will sit at the center of how the company supports customers. This could mean:
- Faster, more personalized health assessments
- Smarter product recommendations
- Improved support from onboarding to follow-up
Dudum even hinted that 90% of the company’s customers could be served instantly and automatically through AI-powered tools in the near future. That’s not just automation—it’s full-on transformation.
Will this change how we see digital health?
Possibly. For years, digital health platforms were mostly seen as convenient alternatives to going into a doctor’s office. You’d answer some questions, maybe have a brief video chat, and have your treatment mailed to your door. Quick and simple.
But if Hims & Hers pulls this off, it could set a new standard for what consumers expect from telehealth—and from healthcare in general. We’re talking about a world where your health needs are met proactively, guided by data, with faster and more accurate care than ever before.
What Does This Mean for Your Health Experience?
If you’re a customer (or thinking about becoming one), you might be wondering: Will AI make things better… or simply less human?
That’s a fair question. We’ve all had moments where we got stuck talking to an unhelpful chatbot or couldn’t reach a real person when we needed support. And in healthcare, that can be more than just frustrating—it can be dangerous. So how will Hims & Hers avoid that trap?
According to the company, the goal isn’t to replace doctors or therapists. Instead, it’s about amplifying their ability to help more people, more effectively. Downing’s experience building safe, reliable systems for self-driving cars could play a key role here. After all, if you can design an AI that safely navigates city streets at 60 mph, you can probably build one that supports a patient’s wellness journey, too.
The human touch still matters
To ease any concerns, CEO Dudum emphasized that real licensed providers will still be involved in every key step of care. The AI is there to help with everything else—such as collecting data, identifying trends, and making initial suggestions—so that the healthcare professionals can focus on what they do best: caring for people.
Could AI in Healthcare Become the Norm?
With giants like Hims & Hers leaning heavily into AI, we could be seeing the early days of a larger shift in healthcare. As technology becomes more capable, affordable, and accepted, more health providers may follow suit. Imagine getting a weekly AI check-up just like you get Spotify recommendations—only instead of music, it’s advice for better sleep or alerts about changes in your health data.
It’s not science fiction anymore. And it’s starting now.
Final Thoughts: A Brave (and Smart) New Direction
While some companies are cautiously dipping their toes into AI, Hims & Hers is diving in headfirst—and reaching across industries to build its dream team.
By hiring an exec from the autonomous vehicle world, they’re sending a clear message: AI is not a side project—it’s central to their future. And if you’ve ever waited too long for a doctor’s appointment, waded through confusing medical instructions, or just wished your health care felt more intuitive, that might actually be really good news.
So, what do you think? Will AI-powered health platforms become the new norm? Would you trust an AI to help guide your next health decision? Let’s keep the conversation going—hit us up in the comments!
Keywords:
AI in healthcare, digital health platforms, Hims & Hers AI strategy, artificial intelligence executive hire, autonomous vehicle technology, personalized health tech, Matthew Downing, health and wellness automation, telehealth innovation, AI-native healthcare