CDC Turns to AI, APIs for Next-Gen Public Health Data Exchange

Kyle Cobb, acting deputy director for Technology and Product at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology (OPHDST), joined us at GovCIO Media & Research’s 2025 Health IT Summit to explain how emerging technologies are transforming the way health care data is shared and managed. Cobb outlined how APIs are replacing outdated data connections with a hub-and-spoke model, creating more efficient and centralized data utilities.

Tools such as FHIR-based APIs and core Data Use Agreements (DUAs) are not only reducing administrative burdens but also helping providers and public health agencies exchange information more consistently. This standardization builds the foundation for a stronger, more responsive data infrastructure capable of supporting both routine health care operations and large-scale public health emergencies.

Artificial intelligence is becoming the next major accelerant in this transformation. Cobb described how AI tools can parse older data formats and convert them into modern FHIR bundles, unlocking access to legacy systems that were previously difficult to integrate.