Seeking: Responsible AI worldwide
The World Health Organization will team up with a Dutch university to help its member countries adopt responsible artificial intelligence technologies, the global health body said earlier this month.
The WHO has designated a research center at Delft University of Technology as a WHO Collaborating Centre on AI for health governance. The Digital Ethics Centre in the Netherlands will research key AI health applications and help inform the WHO's guidance and policies on the technology.
Why it matters: The global health body said AI has the potential to reshape health care, save lives and improve health and well-being. But for that to happen, ethical safeguards must be included and evidence-based policies must be followed, the WHO said.
The WHO and the United Nations, its parent organization, aim to ensure that developing and wealthy countries benefit from the rapid development and adoption of AI while algorithms adhere to local laws without harming the public's health.
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This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care.
Robots could help parents have better conversations with their children, according to a small study published today in Science Robotics.
Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com, or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com.
FORWARD THINKING
Chronic disease rates among children may be higher than previously believed, according to new research published in Academic Pediatrics.
The share of people ages 5-25 with one or more chronic diseases rose from nearly 23 percent from 1999 to 2000 to more than 30 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to the researchers, from UCLA and Harvard.
A few diagnoses are behind the larger swell, researchers found: ADHD, ADD, autism, asthma, prediabetes, depression and anxiety.
'It is incumbent for the U.S. health system to seek ways to treat these patients in pediatric settings and eventually matriculate them into adult care,' the researchers wrote.
Why it matters: The incoming administration's health work, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., promises to focus on better understanding and treating chronic diseases.
President Donald Trump created the Make America Healthy Again Commission, headed by Kennedy, to spearhead the work across agencies.
Even so: Kennedy has for years spread baseless claims about the cause of the rising chronic disease rates in kids — and that may influence the administration's approach to tackling the problem.
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It's clear these aren't just tech trends—they're becoming core to health system reform.' Fredrik Debong: 'I finally see the pieces we've been speaking about for years come together. It's becoming real.' Gabrielle Powell: 'The focus on an ecosystem view of healthcare stood out. There's increasing recognition that collaboration across sectors and geographies is essential for meaningful innovation.' Matteo Berlucci: 'Europe is not 'behind'—it is just on a different trajectory, shaped by the unique mix of public systems and local contexts. The conferences demonstrated how important it is for European stakeholders to chart their own path, even while learning from others. And there's a fresh sense of urgency to address clinician burnout, patient access, and population health—especially as chronic disease rises.'Where do you see the biggest opportunities for impact in digital health in Europe in the next 12–18 months? Tobias Silberzahn: 'Digitally-enabled chronic disease management (especially for diabetes, obesity, mental health, and cardiovascular disease). This is where the highest costs and worst outcomes are—and where digital has most potential to help.' Aditi U. Joshi: 'I have seen that there is an opportunity to scale virtual care programs across regions, in areas that may not have had traditional services. Virtual programs that are proactive, inclusive, and designed with usability in mind have the best chance for success.' Dr. Patrick Pfeffer: 'Over the next 12–18 months, I see the greatest impact in digital therapeutics and AI-enabled mental health tools. These can deliver measurable outcomes at scale, especially in underserved populations.' Fredrik Debong: 'A swiftly dawning realisation of need among policymakers and payors—that if we do not act now, we will fall behind. This opens the door for accelerated action and adoption.' Gabrielle Powell: 'The scaling of AI scribes from pilot programmes to real-world implementation will free up clinicians and improve documentation quality—arguably the biggest bottleneck today.' Matteo Berlucci: 'The most immediate opportunity is to integrate virtual and hybrid care models into mainstream health systems, especially to manage chronic conditions and mental health. We are seeing interest from both governments and private insurers—but execution is everything.'What barriers still hold the digital health sector back—and how can they be overcome? Tobias Silberzahn: 'Reimbursement codes are often lacking (e.g., for digital therapeutics), which prevents scaling. We need systemic changes to make innovation financially viable for providers.' Aditi U. Joshi: 'Digital health faces barriers from fragmented systems and regulatory hurdles. But aligning incentives for all players—providers, payors, and patients—can accelerate adoption.' Dr. Patrick Pfeffer: 'Two key barriers remain: societal acceptance and reimbursement. Overcoming these will require sustained education and clearer outcome-based payment models.' Fredrik Debong: 'Still disparate regulations between countries, still lack of harmonisation. Also, not enough focus on the how of adoption—not just what tech should be used, but how it fits into existing care and economic systems.' Gabrielle Powell: 'The primary barrier to the scaling of digital health solutions in Europe is the challenge of implementation. Even with great tools and willing users, systems are not designed for agile experimentation or rapid scaling. That needs to change.' Matteo Berlucci: 'Too many pilots, not enough procurement. Innovation often stalls because health systems struggle to fund or operationalize new models beyond the pilot stage. Stronger public-private partnerships and more flexible reimbursement pathways could help.'How is Europe approaching responsible AI in healthcare compared to other regions? Aditi U. Joshi: 'Europe leads with a strong focus on ethics and transparency. This helps build trust, which is critical to widespread AI adoption in healthcare.' Dr. Patrick Pfeffer: 'Europe may not be the fastest adopter of AI in healthcare, but it is arguably the most principled. The EU AI Act is an important step in ensuring responsible deployment of these technologies.' Fredrik Debong: 'High level and ethically, far better than elsewhere. But practically, we still lag in implementation. There's a gap between principle and practice.' Gabrielle Powell: 'From a regulatory perspective, Europe leads globally. The EU AI Act sets a precedent for ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness in health applications.' Matteo Berlucci: 'Europe's approach emphasizes trust, equity, and long-term societal impact—which is commendable. The challenge now is to balance this with speed and scalability.'Final thoughts: What will success look like for European digital health in the near future? Tobias Silberzahn: '- Establishing reimbursement categories for patient-centered, tech-enabled chronic disease management – Embedding new digital workflows for primary and chronic care into care teams – Expanding new roles (e.g., digital care navigators) to support both patients and clinicians – Training and upskilling 100,000s of clinicians and nurses in digital tools – Keeping patients at the center' Aditi U. Joshi: 'The dream is efficient, quality care powered by tech—but without losing the human connection. That balance will define success.' Dr. Patrick Pfeffer: 'Success will mean nothing less than a redefinition of care delivery—more predictive, more participatory, and more personalized.' Fredrik Debong: 'I assume that this is about local deployment, sustainability, and measurable change—not hype, not the 'next cool thing.'' Gabrielle Powell: 'Success in digital health will come as much from governance, education, and implementation science as from the technologies themselves.' Matteo Berlucci: 'Success will mean that digital tools are no longer seen as 'add-ons' but as core to how we deliver care—equitably, efficiently, and compassionately.'Europe's digital health future won't be defined by any single technology or country—it will be shaped by systems that prioritize equity, usability, and impact. The experts in this roundtable are aligned on one thing: while Europe's approach may be slower and more fragmented, it also has the potential to build something more enduring, ethical, and human-centered. Now is the moment to move from pilots to platforms—and from promise to practice.
