TLDR: Ant Group has launched a significant initiative through its AI healthcare application, AQ, to tackle the widespread issue of health misinformation in China, with a particular focus on protecting the elderly. The app integrates AI-powered tools for verifying medical advertisements and offers access to AI Doctor Agents and real-time consultations with over 200,000 physicians, aiming to provide accurate health information and counter false narratives.
HANGZHOU, China – Ant Group, a leading fintech giant, has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to combat the pervasive problem of health misinformation in China, specifically targeting its vulnerable senior population. The cornerstone of this initiative is the company’s AI healthcare application, AQ, which officially launched in June 2025 after a public testing phase that began in September 2024. The app has already garnered a substantial user base, attracting 100 million users to date. The AQ app is powered by Ant Group’s proprietary Healthcare Large Model, enabling it to deploy advanced artificial intelligence capabilities in the fight against misleading health information.
A key feature of the AQ app is its new AI-powered section designed to identify fraudulent medical advertisements and health misinformation. Users can easily verify the trustworthiness of a medical ad by uploading a photo, typing in text, or initiating a one-click voice call. This streamlined process is specifically engineered to be user-friendly for the elderly, ensuring accessibility and ease of use.
Beyond automated verification, Ant Group has forged partnerships with the medical community to enhance the app’s credibility and service offerings. More than 300 renowned physicians across China have collaborated with Ant Group to develop ‘AI Doctor Agents’ within the AQ platform, providing credible and authoritative medical advice. Furthermore, through Ant Group’s online consultation platform, Haodf.com, over 200,000 doctors are available to offer real-time, person-to-person medical consultations via the AQ app, ensuring that users can access professional medical guidance when needed.
The urgency of this initiative is underscored by alarming statistics. According to research conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a significant portion of China’s elderly population has fallen victim to health-related deception. More than 40% of seniors have been scammed by fake health products, and three in ten have been misled by medical misinformation. These figures highlight the critical need for robust solutions to protect this demographic.
Ant Group’s commitment extends beyond digital tools. The company also plans to organize thousands of in-person education sessions nationwide. These sessions aim to raise awareness among seniors about health misinformation and equip them with the knowledge to identify and avoid scams.
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Junjie Zhang, Vice President of Ant Group and Head of Healthcare Business, emphasized the company’s dedication to this cause, stating, “In the age of AI, we are dedicated to combating false medical advertising and health misinformation with AQ, thus making healthcare more accessible and people’s lives healthier.” This statement reinforces Ant Group’s strategic vision to leverage AI for societal benefit, particularly in the critical domain of public health.
