What may have surprised the Deep Space audience and thousands of other viewers around the world is that while artificial intelligence has already transformed many of Epic Systems Corp.’s services, there is much more to the fairytale “story” of Epic’s pioneering work in healthcare software.

Some numbers illustrate Epic’s UGM: People from health systems, payer networks and more from all 50 U.S. states and 15 other countries were in attendance at the 11,400-seat Deep Space venue as Faulkner and his team shared how to use the company’s software.

That audience in person, and about 32,000 more online, learned that Epic’s Cosmos database now contains anonymized records from 270 million patients, helping researchers conduct better studies and better serve doctors. They heard about developments at Epic’s MyChart, a patient portal for appointments, care questions, and more. They learned that the company receives about 370,000 job applications per year, fueling the growth of Epic’s workforce of 13,000 employees—most of whom are based at its ever-expanding campus in Verona. They also heard examples of why cybersecurity diligence is more important than ever, especially when it comes to patient data.

A long list of new Epic customers mentioned during the Deep Space presentation showed why the company is the global leader in electronic health records, reportedly holding a larger market share than its nearest competitor, Oracle Health/Cerner. Of course, Epic hasn’t just stood still after its humble start in a Madison basement in 1979.

Artificial intelligence is one reason. Speakers at UGM emphasized that AI has been used in Epic products for years. About 400 health systems use the company’s predictive models for tasks ranging from estimating readmission rates to patient bills to drug interactions that can be dangerous if not avoided. In fact, Faulkner said that over time, Epic alerts to caregivers have prevented 78 million such cases, most likely saving lives in the process.

New, but already evident in Epic’s software suite, are potential uses of “generative” AI, such as automated response technologies. Examples include a look-alikes feature that helps providers treating patients with rare or mysterious diseases by finding similar patients elsewhere to consider treatment regimens. Another tool currently being tested would allow doctors to evaluate treatment options based on the results of other patients in the database.

In total, the company is working on about 100 AI products for tasks large and small, in some cases designed to make the process more time-consuming and human.

In a demonstration during the UGM session at Deep Space, Seth Hain, Epic’s senior vice president of research and development, used a mobile phone to show how AI could help MyChart users in the future. An AI voice contacted Hain through his phone to learn how he was recovering from his wrist surgery. It asked him to rate his pain, instructed him to hold up his wrist so the phone’s camera could check the range of motion, and compared his progress with others.

“According to Cosmos’ data, your recovery is faster than patients like you. Keep up the good work,” the voice said.

The tool isn’t yet mature, Hain readily acknowledged, and there are healthcare providers who fear AI could undermine patient relationships rather than enhance them. Still, the AI ​​phone check-in showed how AI can complement patient care and help providers achieve better outcomes.

Epic’s “story” has yet to turn a new chapter. Healthcare costs are high and some healthcare systems are struggling financially, especially in rural areas. Regulators abroad, at the U.S. federal level, and in states like Wisconsin view AI with a mix of awe and fear. How a company like Epic harnesses the power of AI to combat such problems and improve the practice of medicine is the next chapter.