Leading US companies commit to ethical AI adoption

The Biden-Harris Administration has actively promoted responsible integration of AI in healthcare since assuming office. Executive Order 14110 entrusted the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with ensuring AI’s safe and reliable development. Presently, 28 healthcare firms have voluntarily pledged to progress the ethical and secure utilisation of AI in healthcare.

These pledges encompass creating AI solutions to improve healthcare delivery, ensuring outcomes align with equitable and safe AI principles, introducing trust mechanisms for AI-generated content, establishing frameworks for risk management, and conducting responsible AI research.

Examples include the FDA’s clearance of over 690 AI devices for improved diagnostics and the NIH’s investment in AI-driven research targeting cancer and mental illness. Efforts to address biases in AI, like the AIM-AHEAD program, along with proposals from OCR (Office for Civil Rights) and AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), highlight a concerted push for equity and fairness. Additionally, agencies like CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and ASPR (Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response) are leveraging AI for various healthcare challenges, from addressing bias in high-risk patient identification to aiding in disease outbreaks and improving COVID-19 response. ACF and ASPE’s study also contributes to understanding AI’s implications in health and human services.

Why does this matter?

This endeavor signals a departure from prior AI regulations, focusing on the healthcare ‘demand-side,’ involving providers and payers implementing AI technology. The Biden-Harris Administration commends these commitments, acknowledging AI’s immense potential in transforming healthcare and social services for the American populace.