AI in Healthcare: European Commission final report on challenges, opportunities, and rules of the game

The European Commission has published its final report on the deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, a strategic document that highlights the potential, obstacles, and guidelines for the safe, ethical, and sustainable implementation of AI in European healthcare systems (op.europa.eu).

Europe faces structural challenges: an aging population, an increase in chronic diseases, rising costs, and a shortage of medical personnel. AI can help improve efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and optimize diagnoses and treatments.

However, despite the available solutions, the clinical use of AI is still limited. The main causes are:

technological barriers and difficulties in accessing data;
a complex and evolving regulatory framework;
unsuitable business models;
cultural and social resistance.

The Commission identifies a number of pillars that should guide the transformation:

– Human-centric approach: final control over clinical decisions remains with humans.
– Ethics and responsibility: the use of AI must comply with principles of fairness and transparency.
– Data protection and quality: ensuring the security, integrity, and reliability of information.

– Continuous training: involving and updating healthcare personnel throughout the adoption process.

The report also proposes a monitoring framework with dedicated indicators to measure and guide progress in a consistent manner across EU countries.

The transformation underway is not only technological, but also cultural and organizational: it requires a proactive and multidisciplinary approach involving institutions, hospitals, businesses, and citizens. Only in this way can AI become a driver of innovation and sustainability for European healthcare.