HealthAI: Building regulatory mechanisms for responsible artificial intelligence for health in Africa

 

Strong, responsive regulatory mechanisms are required to establish trust in the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) systems’ safety and effectiveness in health care. However, low- and middle-income countries often do not have the regulatory capacity to match the pace of technological innovation. HealthAI proposes a bottom-up approach of creating a responsible AI regulatory framework. The project aims at establishing and strengthening, in close collaboration with local grantees, country-led validation and regulatory approval processes for AI in health in two selected African countries.

The project will strengthen local regulatory capacity for AI in health of the relevant authorities through training, knowledge sharing and technical support; co-create and refine practical methodologies and tools; and build collaborative regulatory ecosystems of local and international stakeholders, including policymakers, regulators and AI researchers and developers.

This project is funded through the Artificial Intelligence for Development: Responsible AI, Empowering People (AI4D-FCDO) program, a five-year partnership between IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to support policy, innovations and expanded leadership to spur safe and responsible AI development in Africa. The vision of the program is to support an inclusive, responsible AI ecosystem that improves the quality of life for all in Africa and beyond.