European Parliament warns of AI diagnostic risks in medicine

European Parliament members are raising concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, specifically focusing on the risk of AI 'hallucinations' leading to diagnostic errors. During a meeting of the Committee on Public Health (SANT), discussions highlighted that while AI offers significant potential for accelerating diagnostics and improving efficiency for medical staff, it poses legal, security, and ethical challenges.

Researcher Daniela Spajićová noted that AI is already showing promise in analyzing imaging data, such as X-rays and CT scans, to detect lung cancer early. However, the full development of these tools is currently hindered by fragmented legislation and a lack of reliable data. To address this, the EU is working on initiatives like the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the Digital Omnibus package to facilitate the reuse of data for research purposes while protecting patient privacy.