The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has released a comprehensive landscape review and a draft framework aimed at fostering accurate, safe, reliable, and ethical integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and biomedical science. The initiative underscores the potential of AI to transform healthcare positively while emphasizing the importance of responsible behavior in its development, use, and ongoing assessment.

Derived from the Leadership Consortium’s Learning Health System Core Principles, an ongoing initiative since 2006, the NAM's draft framework promotes inclusive collaboration, ongoing safety assessment, efficiency, and environmental protection as core tenets. These principles are designed to guide and assess behavior in AI implementation within the complex healthcare system.

The NAM's AI Code of Conduct initiative, initiated in January 2023, engaged a diverse array of stakeholders in crafting the new draft framework, including expert stakeholders serving on a steering committee. The framework, encapsulated in a "Draft Code of Conduct Framework: Code Principles and Code Commitments," aims to provide simple guideposts for real-time decision-making and detailed implementation plans to ensure the responsible use of AI.

Victor Dzau, President of the National Academy of Medicine, emphasized the significant potential of AI technologies in healthcare while acknowledging concerns regarding their misuse. Dzau stressed the urgent need for establishing principles, guidelines, and safeguards for AI use in healthcare to mitigate potential harm.

The NAM's commentary highlights three critical areas of inconsistency in existing AI guidelines: inclusive collaboration, ongoing safety assessment, and efficiency/environmental protection. These areas underscore the necessity for clear, intentional action among stakeholders to achieve a shared vision.

Additionally, the commentary identifies potential risks associated with AI use in healthcare, including misdiagnosis, resource overuse, privacy breaches, and workforce displacement. The proposed framework, comprising ten code principles and six code commitments, aims to mitigate these risks while maximizing human health outcomes.

Michael McGinnis, Executive Officer of the National Academy of Medicine, expressed confidence that the framework would pave the way for safe, effective, and ethical AI use in healthcare, thereby realizing its transformational potential.

Peter Lee, President of Microsoft Research and a member of the NAM steering committee, emphasized the importance of public input in refining the framework. Lee highlighted the pivotal role of AI advancements in overcoming existing barriers in U.S. healthcare, ensuring a healthier future for all.

The NAM plans to solicit feedback from various stakeholders, convene workgroups, conduct case studies, and consult with individuals, patient advocates, health systems, product development partners, and government agencies before finalizing the code of conduct framework for AI in healthcare.

This initiative aligns with broader trends in healthcare, such as the Coalition for Health AI's patient-centric approach and the incorporation of ethical AI principles into practice. As the healthcare industry continues to navigate the integration of AI, establishing trust and transparency in AI tools remains paramount for patients and clinicians alike.