Health coalition unveils blueprint for using A.I. in healthcare: ‘urgent need’

A coalition of health professionals and academics Tuesday released a blueprint for how to integrate artificial intelligence into healthcare. 

Led by the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), the 24-page “Blueprint for Trustworthy AI Implementation Guidance and Assurance for Healthcare,” includes input from healthcare professionals as well as experts in medicine and technology

The authors concede that wide-adoption of AI and machine learning could potentially increase the risks of negative patient outcomes and worsen bias. 

CHAI said there was an “urgent need for a framework focusing on health impact, fairness, ethics, and equity principles to ensure that AI in healthcare benefits all populations including groups from underserved and under-represented communities.” 

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“The successful implementation and impact of AI technology in healthcare hinges on our commitment to responsible development and deployment,” Eric Horvitz, chief scientific officer at CHAI member Microsoft, said in a statement. 

CHAI’s blueprint lists specific recommendations to increase trustworthiness within the healthcare community, ensure high-quality care, and meet healthcare needs. 

The coalition is accepting feedback on its blueprint until May 5, 2023.

CHAI’s blueprint comes as politicians, businesses, and academics alike are scrambling to adopt a framework for how to integrate AI into our everyday lives. 

Last year, the White House released a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights as “a guide for a society that protects all people from these threats – and uses technologies in ways that reinforce our highest values.”