‘There is a stage at which regulations can stifle some of the innovation [that AI might advance]. … There is a role for providing a safe harbor [from certain regulations] so that we can use our best data to improve our patients’ care.’

• Vincent Liu, MD, senior research scientist and regional medical director of augmented clinical intelligence at Kaiser Permanente (source: AMA Update)

‘Do patients have the option to opt out of having AI used to facilitate their care? If so, how is this option communicated to patients?’

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai itemizing healthcare-specific concerns over the company’s AI chatbot Med-PaLM 2 (source: Warner.Senate.gov)

‘No technology is perfect, and any deployment of AI tools in the healthcare setting will require rigorous testing so that healthcare professionals can rely on the technology without the need for continuous validation and checks.’

• Unsigned GlobalData Healthcare commentary (source: Pharmaceutical Technology)

‘[Patients] are more likely to be comfortable with AI used for administrative tasks than diagnosis and treatments ... [but] the overwhelming majority want to be notified if AI is used in any way.’

• Ricky Zipp, healthcare analyst with Morning Consult (source: Aug. 7 survey analysis)

‘AI will revolutionize the way we live, including our healthcare system. That’s why we’re backing the UK’s fantastic innovators to save lives by boosting the front line of our NHS and tackling the major health challenges of our time.’

• Michelle Donelan, U.K. secretary of state for science, innovation and technology on the allocation of 13 million pounds (around $16.5 million) to support the advancement of AI in healthcare (source: The Independent)

‘Undoubtedly, there will be concerns about how AI interacts with data privacy from a responsible investment point of view. Until there is a global consensus on how this is regulated, Asian countries—where data privacy is less of a focus—could see a clear contrast with the West in how AI is used.’

• Ecaterina Bigos, chief investment officer of core investments, Asia ex Japan, at AXA Investment Managers (source: South China Morning Post)

Buzzworthy developments of the past few days.

• The controversial brain-computer connection company that’s close to the heart of Elon Musk has raised a fresh $280 million. The company, Neuralink, announced the investment infusion on X, the Musk-owned social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “If you’d like to help make the first human experience incredible and work on engineering challenges to restore vision and mobility,” the company tweets, “come join!” Meanwhile Neuralink is being watched for animal mistreatment or any other problematic practices it might employ during preclinical or in-human product development.
   
• Medical conversation capturer Abridge AI (Pittsburgh) received some tasty press this week. A local TV station in Kansas City covered use of the company’s software by physicians at the University of Kansas Health System. “Doctors can spend up to five hours a day charting, but Abridge can drastically cut that down to an hour or less,” the station’s news team reports. Get the rest.
   
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is bestowing grants of up to $100,000 upon almost 50 healthcare AI startups. What the recipients all have in common is a drive to use large language AI for solving problems in global health and development. Foundation announcement here.
   
• Investor enthusiasm over healthcare AI has fallen precipitously this year from a peak it hit in 2021. That year saw some $12.8 billion invested—and 607 deals made—in the sector. So far in 2023, the figures are just $2.6 billion in funding and 192 in deals. The numbers are from CB Insights, which projects global healthcare AI funding will have fallen by 28% year over year by the time 2023 is in the books. The firm is offering a full report on the state of healthcare AI here.
   
• Aiberry (Seattle) has tailored a version of its mental-health screening platform for corporate wellness programs. The company says its AI-powered “therapeutic assistant,” Botberry, can discern signs of mental unwellness by analyzing “what is being said, the speech patterns being used and even subtle changes in facial expressions.” The new version aims to help corporate wellness directors track employees’ use of the platform and monitor their mental wellness over time. (Should this item get a Yay or a Yikes?)
   
• Vital (Claymont, Del.) has unveiled an AI-equipped translator that turns medical mumbo-jumbo into lay language. The company says its product combines large language modeling with natural language processing. The yield is HIPAA-compliant explanations understandable to those who read at a fifth-grade level and up. Announcement.
   

• From Aiin.Healthcare’s news partners:
   
  • Radiology Business: RadNet says AI revenues have surged 109% year-over-year, but business line still in the red
  • Health Imaging: New scoring systems help grade the accuracy of AI-generated radiology reports
  • Cardiovascular Business: New research on AI-based CCTA assessments wins Best Abstract at SCCT 2023