How do patients’ expectations of AI align with the law?
At the World Association of Medical Law (WAML) conference in Antwerp, held from 5–8 August, Professor Mette Hartlev from the University of Copenhagen presented preliminary findings from the WISDOM project on how patients perceive the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical care, and how these expectations align with the existing legal framework.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into diagnostics, treatment and care, understanding patients’ perspectives is essential to ensure that these technologies serve their needs and interests. Within WISDOM, this work combines a review of existing research with ongoing consultations with a community advisory board of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Early findings highlight two important priorities. Patients want a “human in the loop”, with healthcare professionals retaining responsibility for diagnostic and treatment decisions. They also want to be meaningfully involved throughout the entire lifecycle of AI, from the development of new tools to their implementation and evaluation in clinical practice.
The research also examines how these expectations are reflected in European legislation, including the GDPR, EU AI Act, Medical Device Regulation and European Health Data Space. While the legal framework increasingly recognises the importance of human oversight, patient involvement and shared decision-making remain less clearly embedded.
These findings underline the importance of placing patients at the centre of responsible AI development, a core principle of WISDOM’s approach to developing AI solutions for people with MS.