SmartCHANGE kicked off its webinar series with a deep dive into AI and healthcare regulations. The first event, entitled "AI in Healthcare webinar: The AI Act and other Regulatory Issues", gathered experts from various fields to discuss the intricate regulatory landscape on AI and healthcare.
Participants had the opportunity to gain insights from diverse perspectives, hearing from experts on how to navigate the complex world of new regulations such as the AI Act.
The impact of AI on healthcare
Recent years have witnessed incredible progress in artificial intelligence, which holds the potential to transform industries like healthcare completely. From predicting heart failure to promoting healthy lifestyles in young people, AI is helping to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
During the webinar, three EU-funded projects were presented: SmartCHANGE, AI4HF, and DataTools4Heart. Each project conducts cutting-edge research on the application of AI in healthcare and offers insightful information on how health management will unfold in the future.
However, innovation requires regulation. The European Parliament approved the AI Act on March 13, 2024, which is a significant step towards regulating the use of artificial intelligence. The act introduces a risk-based approach that seeks to balance innovation with safety, ensuring privacy, security, and the well-being of citizens. The act also aligns with existing regulations, such as the European Medical Device Regulation, which has been essential for certifying digital health devices for several years.
Post-event report now available
The post-event report for this first webinar is now accessible on Zenodo. It offers in-depth coverage of key discussions, statistics, and expert takeaways. The report offers an in-depth look at the most recent advancements in AI legislation, making it essential reading for anyone working in healthcare or AI.
Download the full report on Zenodo.
Key highlights
The post-event report provides an in-depth analysis of the discussions that took place during the webinar. A central topic was the evolving landscape of AI regulation, with key experts offering their insights on how these changes could shape the future of healthcare innovation.
Participants also had the opportunity to discover exciting new healthcare projects funded by the EU, including SmartCHANGE, AI4HF, and DataTools4Heart. Each of these projects is conducting exciting research on using AI to tackle different health challenges, from chronic heart failure to promoting healthy lifestyles in young people.
The interactive sessions allowed attendees to engage directly with the experts, sharing their thoughts, concerns, and clarifying doubts about the regulatory environment. As uncertainty continues to surround the future of AI regulations, the speakers shared their hopes and concerns for how these developments might affect not only researchers and developers but also the general public who will benefit from these new technologies.
What’s next for SmartCHANGE
After the success of our first event, SmartCHANGE will be hosting more webinars focusing on critical topics in AI and healthcare. Save the date for the 13th November, from 3:30 PM to 5 PM CET for our next webinar, "Co-Design Across Borders: Insights from Large-Scale Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Healthcare Tool Design", where we will discover how international partnerships are driving healthcare innovation.
Until then, relive the insights from our first webinar and download the full post-event report.