Technology isn't just improving how people communicate with each other – it’s also changing the way they speak with businesses. With chatbots already revolutionising customer service, 2017 will see the NHS allow people to receive automated medical advice through an app.

The number of people Googling symptoms and diagnosing themselves has reached worrying proportions, with 20% of Brits now turning to the web rather than visiting a GP. Be Your Own Doctor is a new programme from Channel 4 that wants to help viewers navigate this potentially confusing world.

From addresses to bank details, people share a lot online – and it’s a worrying prospect given that millions of people have had their identities stolen. But what if your medical history were to be shared online? Google is assuring Brits that it can be trusted with their data.

The Western world is in the grip of an anxiety epidemic, yet while rates of mental illness have surged, health services have struggled to keep up. Could effective care be delivered by an app? That’s the goal of Joyable, which offers CBT treatments to social anxiety sufferers through their smartphones.