The World Health Organization’s Europe office has issued a strong warning about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare, stressing the urgent need for legal safeguards and clear governance. While AI is increasingly used to help doctors detect diseases, streamline administrative tasks, and improve communication with patients, WHO cautioned that without proper strategies on data privacy, regulation, and AI literacy, the technology could widen existing inequalities rather than reduce them.
A new WHO report provides the first comprehensive assessment of how AI is being integrated and regulated across European health systems. Of the 53 countries surveyed, 50 responded, and most acknowledged AI’s transformative potential in areas such as diagnostics, personalized medicine, and disease surveillance. However, only a small number have formal national AI strategies in place, with just four countries having completed one and another seven in development. Some nations, including Estonia, Finland, and Spain, have already taken notable steps by building unified digital health platforms, investing in AI training for medical personnel, and piloting AI applications in early disease detection.
Despite growing interest, regulation across the region is lagging behind technological adoption. Legal uncertainty is the biggest barrier, cited by 86 percent of countries, followed by financial constraints. Fewer than 10 percent of countries have established liability standards to determine responsibility when AI systems cause harm or make errors. The report highlights widespread agreement on the need for clear liability rules and transparent, verifiable, and explainable AI systems to build public trust.
WHO urged governments to create AI strategies rooted in public health priorities. These should focus on strengthening legal and ethical protections, preparing the health workforce for AI, engaging the public, and improving cross-border data governance. Dr. Hans Kluge emphasized that while AI is poised to revolutionize healthcare, its benefits will only be fully realized if patients and health workers remain at the core of all decision-making.
