Humana Inc., a healthcare insurance company, has selected Google Cloud to modernize its IT infrastructure.

The two companies have signed a multi-year agreement that will see Humana modernizing its cloud infrastructure with Google Cloud, and using the latter's artificial intelligence technologies.

Financial terms of the agreement were not shared.

“Embracing technology solutions in healthcare can help lower costs and improve consumer experiences. At Humana, we plan to use the capabilities offered by Google Cloud to make it easier for our members and patients to have affordable access to the right care at the right time,” said Jim Rechtin, Humana CEO.

“Google Cloud’s technology platform can make our contact centers more responsive, our provider networks simpler to navigate, healthcare coverage easier to understand and primary care better tailored to individual needs.”

“By combining Humana's deep understanding of healthcare with Google Cloud's cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies, Humana can unlock new possibilities for operational efficiency, clinical insights, and personalized care,” added Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. “This collaboration will empower Humana to further improve the well-being of their members and transform the delivery of healthcare.”

Humana has stated that it will maintain a policy of keeping human input whenever AI is used in cases of clinical decision-making.

The Kentucky-based company was previously a Microsoft Azure customer, having signed a multiyear partnership with Microsoft in 2019. In 2021, the company also worked with IBM Watson Health on a collaboration that would see Humana using IBM's conversational AI assistant.

Prior to its cloud partnerships, Humana ran its operations out of an enterprise data center. In the mid-2000s, Humana decided to develop a 'green data center' in Louisville, Kentucky, replacing a 60-year-old facility. According to a 2010 report by Network Computing, Humana had two IBM mainframe System z10s running at the data center, along with approximately 1,900 servers.

The Louisville data center spanned 100,000 sq ft, according to a project overview by Kellley Construction Inc. Located at 145 Citizens Boulevard in Simpsonville, just outside of Louisville, the data center was sold in 2021 for $277,750 according to an Attom Data report.