Abu Dhabi Introduces World-First Regulatory Framework for AI Clinician Systems
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has published a globally unprecedented regulatory blueprint known as the AI Clinician Framework, defining how artificial intelligence systems might eventually be permitted to carry out clinical tasks that normally demand a licensed medical professional. The framework is designed to establish the policies under which such systems can be researched and eventually operated within the emirate.
Framework Unveiled at Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit
The announcement came from Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, during the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit. They outlined the emirate’s approach to safely and responsibly studying the next generation of AI clinician systems.
The framework sets the foundation for future DoH policies and supporting standards. These will define the specific clinical activities that an AI clinician system could be authorised to perform, the evidence required at each stage, and the benchmarks against which it will be evaluated.
Competence Assessment and Safeguards
Under the framework, an AI clinician system’s competence is evaluated in relation to the particular clinical activities it is designed to perform. A broader clinical scope would demand stronger evidence and a higher level of competence before it could be considered. The framework also mandates safeguards at every level of clinical scope, including mandatory physician oversight and accountability, as well as referral to a physician when necessary.
Chairman Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori said, “Trust is the foundation on which every lasting advance in medicine is built, and artificial intelligence is no exception. The AI Clinician Framework builds upon that trust, enabling the next generation of AI clinician systems to be researched responsibly, with patient safety as the condition for every step forward.”
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi added, “The AI Clinician Framework sets rigorous requirements for research into the potential of AI clinician systems, with patient safety and physician oversight at its core. It gives innovators a clear and responsible path to study what comes next, and gives patients and physicians confidence that every advancement is earned through evidence.”
Part of Abu Dhabi’s AI Health Innovation Strategy
The framework forms part of DoH’s broader strategy for AI-enabled health innovation. It supports research environments where cutting-edge innovations can be studied safely. Research conducted under the framework will take place within Abu Dhabi’s ‘living lab’ model, which is underpinned by integrated, intelligent health infrastructure and governed pathways for clinical research.
