AI Governance by Patients For Patients

In the current landscape, health systems and technology developers are fervently embracing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist clinicians in their roles and to facilitate various other processes in the healthcare system. The omission of patient representation in AI repeats history we do not want to see: a power dynamic where those with the most influence in healthcare at best tokenize and at worst ignore the voices of those they serve. In doing so, they risk creating technologies that not only fail to address some of the most fundamental problems they were designed to affect–improved care and better outcomes for patients–but that exacerbate existing disparities and directly cause additional harm.

This panel will discuss ways in which health AI governance can be guided by the voices and perspectives of patients and diverse racial and ethnic communities.

As patient experts with extensive lived experiences navigating health challenges, we recognize the potential power of AI and big data to transform healthcare. However, for AI to be truly transformative, it must embody qualities of safety, accuracy, equity, and above all, respect for the individuals upon whom the algorithms are trained and utilized.