Artificial intelligence is all the rage in Silicon Valley, but it has so far not made much of a dent in health care. Key quote: "I have no doubt that sophisticated learning and AI algorithms will find a place in health care over the coming years," data scientist Andy Schuetz tells VentureBeat. "I don't know if it's two years or 10 -- but it's coming."

Amazon and two other American titans are trying to shake up health care by experimenting with their own employees' coverage. Technology companies like Alibaba and Tencent have made health care a priority for years, and are using China as their laboratory. After testing online medical advice and drug tracking systems, they are now focused on a more advanced tool: artificial intelligence. Their aggressive push underscores the differences between the health care systems in China and the United States. Chinese hospitals are overburdened, with just 1.5 doctors for every 1,000 people -- barely half the figure in the United States.