“Trust me, I am an algorithm.” Is AI the future of healthcare?

16/11/2021
London / Virtual
18:30

 

Live streamed from the Royal Society of Medicine, this was a thought-provoking discussion on the moral, ethical, commercial and regulatory challenges posed by artificial intelligence in healthcare.

1.

What is 'AI' and what does it mean?

Professor David Lane, Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, Member of UK Government's AI Council

Professor David Lane leads the discussion on what we mean by AI and to what extent has confusion over the term 'AI' led to mixed messages around its potential in the healthcare sector.

We also explore some of the biggest challenges facing the AI and robotics community in engendering trust between members of the public and those hoping to use AI in a healthcare setting.

Professor Alan Winfield, Professor of Robots Ethics, UWE Bristol

What are some of the ethical challenges to using AI technology in the healthcare sector? Professor Alan Winfield explores the questions around whether or not people should be expected to trust machines to make decisions about their bodies and their health.

Will people ever actually trust machines more than doctors and nurses in future and will we ever reach a stage where it may be unethical not to use AI to treat patients?

Eleonora Harwich, Head of collaborations AI lab at NHSX

From doctors learning to administer and have confidence in AI equipment to reassuring patients when it comes to concerns about confidentiality and ownership, Eleonora Harwich looks at the opportunities (and challenges) to develop trust in the use of AI.

We also look at how all this affects the relationship between AI companies and patients as well as the relationship between clinicians and patients.

Johan Ordish, Group Manager (Medical Device Software and Digital Health) at Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Johan Ordish addresses some of the issues around the control and regulation of AI. We look at the frameworks already in place and to what extent they help or hinder investment. We also ask if our current frameworks are sufficient enough to cover any potential new risk posed by AI technology.

Does the UK need a new law like the draft EU AI Regulation? How can policymakers shape a regulation that mitigates risk whilst also supporting openness and innovation?

Our Panel

Professor Alan Winfield

Professor of Robots Ethics, UWE Bristol

Baroness Joan Bakewell DBE

Broadcaster, Journalist and Author

Johan Ordish

Group Manager (Medical Device Software and Digital Health) at Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Professor David Lane

Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, Member of UK Government's AI Council

Eleonora Harwich

Head of collaborations AI lab at NHSX

Is artificial intelligence the future of healthcare? At Bristows, we certainly think so.

We carried out a survey of the UK public's attitudes towards AI in the healthcare sector. We hope that the sometimes surprising answers will help inform industry about the public's views and help to drive AI technology forward in the healthcare space.

The quest for the perfect human?

A summary of our 2019 debate