June 29, 2021

Anna Murray 

The United Nations World Health Organization's 165-page publication, "Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health: WHO guidance," released on June 28, is the result of eighteen months of deliberation among prominent experts in ethics, digital technology, law, and human rights, as well as experts from Ministries of Health. While new artificial intelligence-based technologies hold great promise for improving diagnosis, treatment, health research, and drug development, as well as assisting governments in carrying out public health functions such as surveillance and outbreak response, such technologies must prioritize ethics and human rights in their development, deployment, and use, according to the report.

The new WHO report proposes six ethical principles to ensure that AI serves the public good in all countries. To reduce the risks and maximize the opportunities inherent in the use of AI for health, WHO recommends the following principles as the foundation for AI regulation and governance: (1) Ensure autonomy; (2) Promote human well-being, safety, and the public interest; (3) Ensure transparency, explainability, and intelligibility; (4) Foster responsibility and accountability; (5) Ensure inclusiveness and equity; and (6) Promote AI that is responsive and sustainable.

Aside from these six consensus principles, the paper also addresses the ethical concerns and risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence in health care, in order to ensure that AI benefits all countries. It also includes a set of recommendations for ensuring that artificial intelligence for health governance lives up to its promise by holding all public and private stakeholders accountable and responsive to the healthcare workers who will rely on these technologies, as well as the communities and individuals whose health will be affected by their use.

Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan expressed her hope in the Foreword that this report will help to ensure that the development and use of AI for health is guided by appropriate ethical norms and standards, so that all populations can benefit equally from these technologies' great promise in the future.

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