EU seeks to ensure trustworthy, safe use of AI in health care systems

​​​​​​​By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - The European Commission unveiled a new flagship initiative Tuesday to promote the safe and trustworthy use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care across Europe.

COMPASS-AI, part of the EU's "Apply AI Strategy," aims to support the responsible integration of AI tools into medical practice, ensuring that new technologies improve patient outcomes while maintaining ethical and safety standards, the EU Commission said in a statement.

COMPASS-AI will focus on two main areas -- cancer care and health care in remote regions, and will bring together experts, hospitals and professional societies to advance AI deployment in clinical settings.

The initiative will also establish an interactive digital platform to share best practices and provide guidelines for the effective use of AI in health care. It will include efforts to improve AI literacy among health care workers, hospital managers and patients.

Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Oliver Varhelyi said the initiative reflects the EU's commitment to ensuring that AI development in health care remains innovative and trustworthy.

"AI has the potential to transform healthcare by advancing precision medicine through enhancing prevention, speeding up clinical trials, improving diagnostic accuracy, optimising treatment decision-making and by streamlining workflows," he said.

The Apply AI Strategy sets out the bloc's roadmap for expanding the use of artificial intelligence across key industries and public services, with health care positioned as one of the main sectors where citizens will first experience the benefits of trustworthy European AI.​​​​​​​