The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands as its collaborating centre on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for health governance.
The Delft University of Technology is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, The Netherlands.
The announcement is contained in a statement issued by the WHO from Geneva.
The world health body said AI has the potential to re-shape health care, save lives and improve health and well-being.
However, it said, harnessing its benefits for good requires collaboration from stakeholders committed to robust governance, ethical safeguards, and evidence-based policies,” it said.
It said that the WHO collaborating centre designation recognises the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology’s decades-long history of cutting-edge research on responsible innovation, and its leadership in incorporating ethical values into design requirements for digital technologies.
The inauguration, it said, marked the continuation of a strong partnership between the Digital Ethics Centre and WHO with the two entities jointly organizing international consultations, workshops, and the development of normative guidance and training in the past.
Speaking, the Director of Digital Health and Innovation at the WHO, , Dr Alain Labrique said the organisation is committed to helping Member States plan, govern, and adopt responsible AI technologies.
“We are witnessing remarkable progress, with AI poised to transform health systems and support individuals on their health journeys.
”To ensure these benefits reach everyone ethically, safely, and equitably, we rely on strong technical and academic partnerships that guide us in this rapidly evolving field,” he said.
According to him, the collaborating centre on AI for health governance will be instrumental in WHO’s efforts to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI for health.
He said it would be done by advancing research on priority topics and providing expert input for WHO’s guidance development and policy-making.
Labrique said that the centre would serve as a hub for education and advocacy for science-driven research and facilitate knowledge-sharing and training through regional and country-level workshops.
The Scientific Director at Delft Digital Ethics Centre, Prof. Jeroen Hoven said that the fruit of two decades of research in digital ethics and responsible innovation, the centre was one of the frontrunners in operationalising ethical values into design requirements for digital technologies such as artificial intelligence.
“We look forward to contributing to the global health community and advancing the responsible use of AI in health,” Hoven said.
According to him, the Responsible and Ethical AI for Healthcare Lab, a collaboration between Delft University of Technology and its partners, will provide valuable insight into the challenges involved in the successful implementation of WHO guidance in clinical practice.
NAN
