A healthy dose of AI in healthcare?

When it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare sector, policymakers need to ensure the focus is kept on patients and their needs.Nobody would deny that digital technologies, in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, have unprecedented potential to realise a more rapid diagnosis of diseases. They can also allow us to personalise patients’ treatment, increase health system efficiency and ultimately improve people’s access to healthcare.Yet, the extent to which the health sector actually benefits from the opportunities offered by these technologies remains limited. To address this, policymakers need to look at the existing uncertainties around liability, data security and privacy. It is crucial that the highest level of transparency, data security and data privacy is guaranteed, and this is where policymakers can play a key role. It is our responsibility to establish a framework that fosters trust, safeguards data privacy and sees to it that data ownership remains with the patient.