Collaboration of Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente with big tech to advance healthcare AI

Healthcare executives from prominent organisations like Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente are collaborating with leaders from the tech industry to create a "code of conduct" for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

The National Academy of Medicine recently initiated a three-year project to advance the ethical and responsible utilisation of AI in health, medical care, and health research. By combining the "best science" with ethical principles and societal values, the academy aims to establish guidelines that promote the positive impact of AI in the healthcare sector. The first publication from this initiative is scheduled to be released in early 2024.

Philips CEO, Roy Jakobs, emphasised that the primary focus of this framework is to put people at the centre of AI adoption, enabling care providers to better assist patients. The goal is to harness the full potential of AI technology while ensuring that it remains aligned with human-centric values.

The steering committee leading this crucial effort includes distinguished figures such as Gianrico Farrugia, MD, the president and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Andrew Bidman, MD, the executive vice president and chief medical officer of Kaiser Permanente based in Oakland, California. 

In addition, representatives from influential tech companies like Google and Microsoft, healthcare organisations like Optum, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City are actively participating in the development of this code of conduct.