Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page said in conversation with venture capitalist Vinod Khosla that the tech giant will not likely become a healthcare company, according to an article in Forbes.
When Khosla, at a yearly summit for CEOs, asked them whether they could "imagine Google becoming a health company," Brin and Page said the healthcare industry was a "painful business to be in" because of heavy regulations.
"It's just not necessarily how I want to spend my time," Brin said. "I think the regulatory burden in the U.S. is so high that I think it would dissuade a lot of entrepreneurs."
Page echoed Brin's comments, saying he is excited about how data can improve health, but that he is worried "we regulate ourselves out of some really great possibilities that are certainly on the data-mining end."
However, they did note that Google was not entirely steering clear of healthcare. The company recently announced plans to launch Google Fit--a health platform that will aggregate data from fitness-tracking devices and health-related apps.
Google Glass is also already making its mark in the healthcare industry. A Google Glass app is enabling medical staff to record patient consultations and surgeries and the technology is being used in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's emergency department to provide clinicians with patient information.
To learn more:
- read the Forbes article