AI has been in the news a lot in recent months. Whether it is newsprint, TV, online, or social media it is hard not to have seen something. What is it all about?
Stories range from:
- AI is going to replace all sorts of people’s jobs.
- AI is an existential threat to humanity.
- AI luminaries signing letters calling for all AI R&D to be paused.
- Artists and designers concerned that their intellectual property is being appropriated to train AI without their consent which then replaces them. See https://t.co/Lt8DUNyO9z
- US tech firms calling for the US to regulate AI.
- A lot less coverage of the draft AI Act proposed by the European Union which is the first attempt anywhere in the world to regulate on AI.
In relation to the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act, we are signatories to a statement of European organisations on access to innovative healthcare. We joined 10 healthcare associations across Europe, from patients to healthcare professionals and medical technology industry, with a shared goal of improving health outcomes and healthcare systems. Read our multi-healthcare statement here.
Healthcare has been quietly using AI to assist healthcare professionals, lighten the cognitive load, discover new treatments & drugs, and save lives. It is important that these AI health uses are communicated to demonstrate the benefits, transparency, and trust.
The Digital Health Society with its partner I~HD have been busy working on AI related matters in healthcare. We have held our Round Table 7 “Creating an environment of trust and responsible AI adoption and use”. Also, our AI Club of multi-stakeholders working in AI in healthcare have been looking at important issues including AI skills and education, Safety and Bias, Business cases and Evaluation and Explainability.
Watch out for the publication of our Round Table 7 Report later this summer and the AI Club report in September. Also the Digital Health Society 5th Virtual Summit on 14 and 15th November will have a range of content on AI.
