Microsoft. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
In partnership with numerous other leading healthcare organizations, Microsoft announced today at the HLTH Europe conference that it, as the primary technology enabling partner, will be helping to expand the Trustworthy & Responsible AI Network (TRAIN) to Europe. TRAIN was originally launched in the US in March 2024 with the goal of promoting responsible and ethical AI principles, to ultimately operationalize the technology to serve communities in a safe, trustworthy and ethical manner. The cohort that signed onto the original agreement in the US included a variety of leading healthcare organizations of all sizes and footprints.
Now, with the expansion of TRAIN to Europe, innovators are hoping that this initiative will unlock new potential across the continent, especially as the global race for developing and launching AI technology in a meaningful way is underway. The objectives behind the initiative are straightforward, and have immense ramifications in helping partnering countries with their zealous attempts to advance in this realm. These objectives range from enabling commitments to share best practices across member organizations and the registration of AI systems and algorithms, to developing metrics and tools to standardize and measure outcomes associated with AI systems and the promotion of a national AI outcomes registry.
Overall, the goal of the program is clear: to promote responsible AI use and ultimately create a cohesive network where organizations can share resources and grow together.
Sarah Harmon, President of Foundation 29, which is a key member of TRAIN, explains that with regards to the use of AI in healthcare, “while high-quality data, often sourced from patients, is essential for advancing AI technologies, it is equally crucial to guarantee responsible use of this data.” Ultimately, the goal should be “safeguarding patient data and fostering a trustworthy environment for AI development”—which is a key objective for TRAIN. Dr. Michel van Genderen, an attending physician at the Erasmus Medical Center, further elaborates that collaboration across borders and with organizations will be paramount in “transforming healthcare using AI.”
This is a growing trend in this arena of technology, especially as there have been immense advancements in the field over the course of the last year. Many organizations are attempting to develop frameworks for responsible use of these tools, especially as governments are increasingly developing regulations and stipulations for the technology. For example, another famous framework/initiative is the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI). With key partners including Microsoft, Amazon and Google, in addition to esteemed healthcare organizations such as Stanford Medicine and Mass General Hospital, CHAI’s goal is to “develop ‘guidelines and guardrails’ to drive high-quality health care by promoting the adoption of credible, fair and transparent health AI systems.”
Why are these coalitions and frameworks so important? The reality is that the world of artificial intelligence is transforming so quickly that standard regulatory bodies cannot keep up with the rapid advancements. Organizations that are promulgating these frameworks hope to guide the development and deployment of these technologies.
Especially in the realm of healthcare, given that many of these technologies may one day be used in the clinical setting and in patient-care environments, guardrails and guidelines are of utmost importance. Undoubtedly, a thoughtful approach to this technology is paramount, given how significantly the future of healthcare is dependent on it.
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