The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published a set of important regulatory considerations for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The publication aims to guide governments and authorities in developing or adapting AI guidelines at national or regional levels. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, acknowledges the promising potential of AI in medicine, but also warns of risks such as unethical data collection, cyberattacks, and malfunctions.
The WHO publication comes at a crucial time when health data collection is at an all-time high, and cloud technology is making this data more accessible. AI technologies, including machine learning and logic-based procedures, are seen as having significant potential to optimize clinical research, diagnostics, therapy, and prevention. However, the rapid implementation of AI technologies without fully understanding their workings and potential harms is a concern.
The WHO emphasizes the importance of transparency, documentation, risk management, external validation, data quality, privacy, and data protection in AI systems. It also highlights the need for improved collaboration among regulatory authorities, patients, healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and government partners. The organization stresses the importance of training AI systems with reliable data to avoid biases and errors, particularly in representing diverse patient populations.