Healthcare Providers Align with U.S. Plan to Manage AI Risks
In a significant move toward responsible artificial intelligence (AI) development in healthcare, 28 prominent healthcare companies, including CVS Health, have committed to U.S. President Joe Biden’s voluntary initiatives. These initiatives aim to ensure the safe development of AI technologies in the healthcare sector. This commitment aligns with those previously made by leading AI companies like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft, underscoring a broader industry trend towards responsible AI development.
Biden Administration’s AI Strategy
The Biden administration is actively setting parameters around AI due to its rapidly increasing capabilities and popularity, alongside limited regulatory frameworks. The administration emphasizes the enormous potential of AI to benefit patients, doctors, and hospital staff. However, it also recognizes the need for thorough oversight and testing to avoid costly and potentially dangerous errors. Absent proper oversight, AI diagnoses can be biased, particularly when not trained on diverse data sets that represent the entire population it serves.
Commitments and Executive Order
The healthcare providers’ commitments involve informing users when they interact with content largely generated by AI and monitoring and mitigating potential harms caused by AI applications. These commitments are focused on advancing health equity, improving access to care, outcomes, reducing clinician burnout, and enhancing patient experiences.
President Biden has also issued an executive order requiring developers of AI systems posing risks to national security, the economy, public health, or safety to share safety test results with the government before public release.
HHS’s Role in AI Oversight
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking a proactive approach in overseeing research and drafting rules about AI in healthcare. The Food and Drug Administration has already approved nearly 700 AI-enabled devices for market use. The HHS’s strategy includes developing resources and policies for the safe adoption and use of AI in healthcare, emphasizing transparency and risk management.
Patient Perspectives on AI
Patients are optimistic about the potential of generative AI to improve healthcare access and affordability. A significant portion of U.S. consumers believes generative AI could reduce wait times for medical care and make healthcare more affordable. However, patients also express the need for transparency and appropriate oversight when healthcare providers use AI tools.
Regulatory Framework
In addition to the federal government’s efforts, states and Congress are expected to continue reviewing and developing legislation around AI use in healthcare. This will likely lead to a variety of regulations that healthcare providers, AI developers, and others in the sector will need to navigate.
These developments represent a significant step towards harnessing the potential of AI in healthcare while ensuring its responsible use and managing associated risks.
