Governance of AI in Healthcare: Insights from the IHF President-Elect

After main South Korea’s hospital sector by a number of public well being crises, Lee Wang-jun is now targeted on one other structural problem confronting world well being care: how one can govern using synthetic intelligence in hospitals.

Lee, president-elect of the Worldwide Hospital Federation, stated hospitals around the globe are quickly adopting AI throughout prognosis, therapy and operations. However discussions on accountability, ethics and world requirements have but to catch up.

“New applied sciences are altering each paradigm for medical therapy and hospitals,” stated Lee, who doubles as chair and president of Myongji Hospital and Myongji Medical Basis, in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Wednesday.

“We used to say digital transformation however now we add the phrase ‘AI-based’ in entrance of that. Making sensible hospitals is just not sufficient. We’ve got to steer such adjustments in a way more proactive method.”

He raised questions akin to who could be held answerable for choices made based mostly on an AI-determined prognosis between the hospital, the physician and the answer developer.

“If a humanoid robotic conducts a surgical procedure and finally ends up with a nasty outcome, who takes duty then?” stated Lee.

“Who can lead the discussions on such issues? Will (the World Well being Group) or (the United Nations) take cost? Or will massive tech firms do it? With the US and China going head-to-head in a hegemonic competitors in relation to AI expertise, we’d like a moderator that may lead the talks as a way to collaboratively draft related requirements and rules. The IHF has to play that position.”

Lee grew to become the second Korean to steer the IHF, a non-profit membership group based in 1929, which now has greater than 170 members representing some 30,000 hospitals in additional than 70 nations. He was elected to the put up in the course of the forty eighth World Hospital Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, final month.

The Korean doctor-turned-entrepreneur will serve a two-year time period as IHF president from 2027 to 2029, however his work will start straight away because the IHF depends on a six-year govt management cycle that enables the worldwide group’s present president, previous president and future president to work along with the IHF Secretariat to make choices.

“If massive tech corporations, and even small tech darkish horses, attempt to enter the well being care sector with AI, they’ll need to conduct medical trials, like once we take a look at new medicine,” stated Lee.

“The IHF generally is a facilitator for them. So I’m attempting to determine a brand new physique below the IHF that may serve each the moderator and facilitator roles. … As an example, if we attempt to carry collectively stakeholders within the AI well being care area akin to Google, OpenAI, heads of hospitals and well being ministers to debate the ethics of AI expertise within the medical sector, the IHF must be the host of the talks.”

Lee stated Seoul’s internet hosting of the forty ninth World Hospital Congress subsequent October offers a chance to launch a world AI well being care initiative.

“I want to declare an AI well being care initiative on the congress,” he stated. “The thought is to determine a world community, with a number of regional hubs working collectively.”

In response to Lee, potential areas for these hubs embrace Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Finland, Eire, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the US.

As for securing monetary backing to launch a brand new physique on the IHF, Lee pointed to Korea’s full-scale funding in AI. President Lee Jae Myung stated the Korean authorities drew up an AI finances for subsequent yr value 10 trillion received ($6.7 billion), which is 3 times this yr’s quantity.

“If the Korean authorities helps this sort of initiative, it could assist place Korea as a contributor to world discussions on AI in well being care,” Lee stated, including that it might additionally open alternatives for Korean expertise firms akin to Naver and Kakao.

Past AI, Lee stated he additionally goals to broaden the IHF’s membership base. Whereas the federation has traditionally been centered on Europe and North America, he stated larger participation is required from Asia, Africa and growing nations.

“Increasing range throughout the group is necessary,” Lee stated. “It strengthens the IHF and enhances its potential to function a very world platform.”

Lee is a graduate of Seoul Nationwide College Faculty of Medication and beforehand performed a number one position in coordinating hospital responses throughout main infectious illness outbreaks in Korea, together with the 2009 H1N1 flu, the 2015 Center East respiratory syndrome outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

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