New AI laboratory for the NHS

The public must be engaged in AI innovations to ensure real benefits for health

In August 2019 the UK government announced a welcome boost for artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with £250m (€280m; $310m) for a national laboratory in England. Public imagination is captivated by robots, but the new lab will prioritise technologies more likely to benefit the health system and patients in the short term, including algorithms to predict demand for hospital beds and tools that identify signs of disease from diagnostic images, all underpinned by a focus on ethical and fair AI.

Citation

Steventon A, Deeny S R, Keith J, Wolters A T. New AI laboratory for the NHS BMJ 2019; 366 :l5434 doi:10.1136/bmj.l5434