The AI Age is here and here to stay
The OECD has been at the frontier in defining comprehensive policy principles for trustworthy development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its 2019 Principles. These principles seek to mitigate some of AI’s most significant risks including worker displacement, expanding inequities, breaches of personal privacy and security, and irresponsible use of AI that is inappropriate for the context or may result in harm.
The last quarter of 2023 saw several important events and reports designed to drive the safe implementation of AI from the White House Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence; to the G7 Code of Conduct for AI; the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park; the provisional agreement on the European Union AI Act; and, in health, the WHO guidance for the regulation of artificial intelligence (US White House, 2023[1]; World Health Organization, 2023[2]; European Commission, 2023[3]; AI Safety Summit, 2023[4]; European Parliament, 2023[5]).
AI has significant potential to save lives, improve health professionals’ work, and make health systems more people-centred AI can help address some of health’s largest challenges including a depleted workforce, future threats to public health, ageing populations, and increasing complexity of health due to multiple chronic conditions.
It is crucial to make use of this powerful new tool while also mitigating its risks. Oversight and robust governance will be necessary to respond rapidly to emerging issues and opportunities.