In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and healthcare has been appreciated for the great promise it offers, but is also at the heart of increasingly frequent litigation.
This European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) study provides an overview of how AI can benefit healthcare in the future, in particular by increasing the efficiency of clinicians, improving medical diagnosis and treatments, and optimising the allocation of human and technical resources.
The report identifies and clarifies the main clinical, social and ethical risks associated with AI in healthcare, namely:
- potential errors and negative effects on patients;
- the risk of biases and increased health inequalities;
- lack of transparency and trust;
- vulnerability to hacking and data protection violations.
The study proposes mitigation measures and policy options to minimise these risks and maximise the benefits of medical AI, including multi-stakeholder engagement during the lifetime of AI production, increased transparency and traceability, in-depth clinical validation of AI tools and AI training and education for both doctors and citizens.