BroPilot, a Māori-led AI healthcare platform, is helping whānau improve health literacy, understand medical information, and connect with Māori health services in a more accessible and culturally appropriate way.
It was launched three years ago by Troy Baker, who saw that many Māori were struggling to get help when they needed it. He found that some people had low health literacy, while others felt shy or uncomfortable about going to the doctor, which meant they often delayed seeking care.
The platform was developed to make the first step into healthcare easier by giving people a simple, safe and relevant way to access information and support.
“BroPilot was an alternative pathway, for people like me, that get bored, low attention span, and not seeing our own narratives and kōrero,” says Baker.
Baker says BroPilot was created because traditional health services do not always work for everyone. It aims to use AI to present health information in a way that is easier to understand and more relevant for Māori.
How BroPilot supports whānau Māori through health technology
BroPilot is designed to remove barriers that can stop people from getting help, especially for those who are unsure how the health system works or feel uncomfortable asking questions.
It also aims to improve health literacy, so whānau can better understand their health and make decisions with greater confidence.
“A lot of the issues were at home, trusting the system, whānau that were especially responsible for tamariki, and don’t want to show any weakness in that regard,” says Baker.
He emphasises that the platform is not about replacing doctors or nurses, but about supporting them by reducing administrative work and giving them more time with patients.
Helping whānau navigate healthcare services with confidence
Māori health worker and midwife Annabel Johns says AI tools such as BroPilot can help whānau understand health information more clearly.
With more than 20 years’ experience working with new parents, she says better access to clear information helps people feel more confident when dealing with health services.
“One of the things we know is whānau often struggle with health literacy, and this is a really, really helpful tool,” says Johns.
She says improving health literacy is key, and tools like BroPilot will help whānau feel less overwhelmed when they need to seek medical care.
BroPilot’s future in Māori healthcare and AI innovation
The BroPilot team hopes the platform will continue to support Māori health providers and make it easier for whānau to get help earlier.
By combining AI with tikanga Māori, the team hopes BroPilot will help build trust in health services and create a more accessible pathway into care for Māori communities.
“I’d like to see a shift in pro-activeness, and that’s how I see AI, being able to reduce the admin, and more time for us to do this,” says Baker.
“We can use technology to be more welcoming and (use) whakawhanaungatanga,” says Baker.
