AI in health care: Experts discuss the future of AI practices and policies

Jim VandeHei, CEO of Axios; Marc Boom, M.D., AHA board chair and president and CEO of Houston Methodist; Anne Klibanski, M.D., president and CEO of Mass General Brigham; Jonathan Perlin, M.D., president and CEO of Joint Commission; and Ladd Wiley, senior vice president of global corporate affairs, public policy and advocacy for Epic, all participated in the panel discussion “AI in Health Care: Navigating Policy, Regulation, and the Road Ahead." The panel discussed the lifesaving potential of artificial intelligence, as well as the critical need for governance, both governmental and hospital-based, surrounding its use in health care settings. In addition, panelists lauded AI’s potential to improve patient safety and reduce workforce burnout through tools like ambient listening, its success in diagnostics and radiology, and the importance of ensuring that smaller hospitals and health systems have the same access to the technology as larger ones. Any use of AI, said Klibanski, must serve a hospital’s primary mission, saying “our responsibility is the best outcome for the patient.” Panelists also discussed unique data privacy and cybersecurity considerations, particularly with the rise of agentic AI tools.