A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr. Lateef Akinola, on Tuesday identified the lack of regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a threat to the healthcare delivery system.
Akinola, who is also a Lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, made the assertion in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the 2nd Annual Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Memorial Lecture in Lagos.
He expressed concern over the minimal regulation and control of AI use, despite its global acceptance and widespread adoption.
Describing the development as a risk to healthcare delivery, Akinola emphasised the need for proper regulation and oversight to address widespread bias in AI decision-making systems across medical practice.
He suggested that effective measures must be policy-driven and implemented to combat disinformation and address challenges related to cost, data privacy, and biased recommendations, particularly in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
“Virtually everybody is now using AI worldwide, yet there is inadequate regulation or governance of the system. Without proper oversight, patient data may not always be stored or used securely. Doctors may also face inaccurate outputs, biased recommendations, or liability issues that undermine patient care,” he said.
Akinola warned that disinformation and deepfakes pose tangible threats to healthcare delivery. “As generative AI becomes increasingly sophisticated, distinguishing fact from fiction becomes more difficult,” he added.
However, he acknowledged the significant benefits of AI in healthcare, noting that it is revolutionizing the sector by offering opportunities for early disease detection, personalized treatments, and improved patient outcomes.
He highlighted the impact of AI on ART, saying it provides data-driven solutions for diagnosis, optimists treatment, and standardizes in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory procedures.
Clinicians, he explained, use AI to analyze large volumes of clinical data—from mammograms to wearable sensors that measure hormones—helping identify subtle signs that may escape the human eye.
“These tools do not replace doctors but enhance accuracy and reduce errors. Using AI-powered computer vision, automated sperm analysis offers more consistent assessment of motility, morphology, and DNA integrity compared to manual methods,” he said.
Akinola concluded that the full potential of AI in healthcare depends on robust validation and the establishment of ethical governance structures.
