U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Unveils Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan
Overview
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategic Plan, aiming to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, accessibility, and equity in health and human services through the innovative, safe, and responsible use of AI.
Four Key Goals
The plan focuses on four key goals:
- Catalyzing health AI innovation and adoption: Unlock new ways to improve people’s lives by catalyzing health AI innovation and adoption.
- Promoting trustworthy AI development and ethical and responsible use: Avoid potential harm by promoting trustworthy AI development and ethical and responsible use.
- Democratizing AI technologies and resources: Promote access to AI technologies and resources to traditionally underserved populations, such as rural communities and people with disabilities.
- Cultivating AI-empowered workforces and organization cultures: Ensure long-term successful and safe adoption of AI by developing AI-empowered workforces and organization cultures.
Potential Benefits
The plan aims to promote potential benefits such as:
- Accelerating scientific breakthroughs that could increase the quality and length of life
- Improving clinical outcomes and enhancing safety through innovations in healthcare delivery
- Improving equity and empowering participants through enhanced health and human services delivery
- Forecasting risks and rapidly mobilizing resources to predict and respond to public health threats
Action Plan
The HHS plan includes the following actions:
- Funding research programs that develop or leverage AI in medical research and discovery
- Issuing interoperability guidelines to engage the public and prioritize safe, responsible, and responsive AI in funding of both intramural and extramural research programs
- Sharing national guidelines specific to health AI and building sandboxes for industry collaboration
- Exploring the use of AI for dynamic AI risk assessment
Early Response
The plan has received early support from organizations such as Premier Inc., which notes that it "directly aligns" with many of their AI policy recommendations.
FAQs
Q: What are the four key goals of the HHS AI Strategic Plan?
A: The four key goals are catalyzing health AI innovation and adoption, promoting trustworthy AI development and ethical and responsible use, democratizing AI technologies and resources, and cultivating AI-empowered workforces and organization cultures.
Q: What are the potential benefits of the AI plan?
A: The plan aims to promote potential benefits such as accelerating scientific breakthroughs, improving clinical outcomes, improving equity, and forecasting risks and rapidly mobilizing resources to predict and respond to public health threats.
Q: What are the next steps for the HHS AI Strategic Plan?
A: The agency plans to issue interoperability guidelines, share national guidelines specific to health AI, and build sandboxes for industry collaboration, among other actions.
