The first digital programmable computer is accredited to the English mathematician and philosopher Charles Babbage (1791-1871) for his Difference Engine, a machine capable of mathematical calculations. Or perhaps the credit should go to Alan Turing, one of the most influential code breakers of World War II and the inventor of the programmable machine at Bletchley Park capable of deciphering Nazi Germany’s Enigma. Thanks to Turing, enemy operations were intercepted, allowing the building of Allied military strength culminating in the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944. 

Today every aspect of modern life relies on computers, including healthcare. But should we be cautious? We don’t have to think that far back to recall the HSE Conti ransomware attack of May 14, 2021 and the havoc it wreaked on our entire health system. 

Recent concerns have been voiced about the potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, a field in which literature is constantly emerging.¹ In 2022, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) Panel for the Future of Science and Technology published a report on the applications, risks, and ethical and societal impacts of AI in healthcare.² The EPRS study involved a comprehensive (but non-systematic) literature review and analysis of existing published material, and highlighted the specific applications of AI in medicine and healthcare, particularly with reference to an ageing population, a rise in chronic diseases, a lack of health personnel, inefficiency of health systems, lack of sustainability and health inequalities. According to the report, the most significant contributions of AI were likely to be in clinical practice, biomedical research, public health and health administration. 

The report also highlighted seven main risks inherent in the introduction of AI into healthcare, which are:

• Patient harm due to AI errors
• The misuse of AI tools
• Bias in AI and the perpetuation of existing inequities
• Lack of transparency
• Issues related to privacy and security
• Gaps in accountability 
• Obstacles in implementation. 

There has been some discussion in the media recently on the EU’s plan to regulate AI as part of its digital strategy in order to ensure better conditions for its development and use. To this end, in April 2021, the European Commission proposed the first EU regulatory framework for AI. The essential proposal is that AI systems used in different applications are to be analysed and classified according to the risk they pose to users. Different levels of risk will thus mean greater or lesser levels of regulation. 

On June 14, 2023, the European Parliament formally adopted its negotiating position on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act ahead of talks with EU member states on the final details of the proposed law. The aim is to ensure that AI developed and used in Europe is fully consistent with EU rights and values, including human oversight, safety, privacy, transparency, non-discrimination and social and environmental wellbeing. Talks with EU member states have begun and the aim is to reach an agreement by the end of this year. Once approved, these will essentially become the world’s first statutory rules on AI.

References

1. Secinaro S et al (2021). The role of artificial intelligence in healthcare: a structured literature review. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. 21:125. doi.org/10.1186/s12911-021-01488-9
2. EPRS Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (June 2022). Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Applications, Risks and Ethical and societal Impacts. www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2022/729512/EPRS_STU(2022)729512_EN.pdf