How Hims & Hers Discovered an AI-Focused CTO in the Autonomous Vehicle Industry

Hims & Hers, a telehealth and wellness enterprise, has appointed an experienced professional from the autonomous vehicle industry as its new chief technology officer. This strategic move, as noted by co-founder and CEO Andrew Dudum, was intentional.

On Thursday, Hims & Hers revealed that Mo Elshenawy, the former president and CTO of the self-driving car company Cruise, will be taking on the role of CTO. Elshenawy left Cruise earlier this year following the shutdown of the autonomous vehicle program by its parent company, GM.

While the shift from autonomous vehicles to healthcare may seem unconventional, Dudum explained to TechCrunch that he deliberately sought leaders from the autonomous driving sector to advance his company’s AI-focused product initiatives.

“I concentrated on leaders in the autonomous driving space because they excel at utilizing technology, data, and AI in situations where human lives are involved,” Dudum shared in an interview.

Elshenawy, who holds over 10 patents in AI, robotics, and autonomous technologies, conveyed to TechCrunch that the transition “is not as considerable a jump as it might appear.”

“Self-driving vehicles employ AI to make real-time decisions in complex, high-stakes, and heavily regulated environments, where gaining trust is crucial,” he noted in an email to TechCrunch. “Healthcare operates under similar conditions. You’re dealing with human lives, finite resources, and stressed systems. Utilizing AI for dependable, safe decision-making at scale perfectly aligns with Hims & Hers’ mission.”

Hims & Hers is a San Francisco-based telehealth organization that became publicly traded in 2021 through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. Founded in 2017, the company initially focused on men’s health by offering erectile dysfunction treatments and hair loss solutions. The following year, it expanded its scope to include women’s health, thus integrating “Hers” into its branding. This direct-to-consumer platform connects users with licensed healthcare professionals and has recently added services for mental health and weight management.

This ambition is reflected in the company’s recent appointments. Earlier this week, the organization announced that former Amazon executive Nader Kabbani would be its new chief of operations.

Dudum sees AI as a crucial technology that will enable the company to grow and ultimately serve a larger audience. According to Dudum, Hims & Hers attends to between 10,000 and 15,000 patients daily. The anonymized data from millions of patients—including metrics like clinical visits and medication efficacy—has been compiled into a comprehensive dataset, which is now being utilized to create AI models that assist in patient diagnosis and treatment.

Two years ago, the company used its dataset to develop MedMatch, a tool that aids doctors in recommending mental health treatments. Dudum emphasized that all AI-driven tools still require human supervision from healthcare professionals.

“A rigorous and systematic approach is necessary for clinical decision tools in the medical field, meaning that providers remain essential for making clinical judgments and decisions from a regulatory standpoint,” Dudum remarked. He stressed that the company’s AI tools are designed to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of healthcare providers.

Dudum added that the AI system also clarifies the reasoning behind its suggestions to doctors and healthcare professionals. “Demonstrating the methodology and providing context regarding the elements influencing outcomes is, in many ways, as important as the recommendations themselves,” he concluded.