Advancements in medicine, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), have achieved previously unimaginable breakthroughs. At the same time, efforts to regulate and limit innovation in AI have swelled. The irony is hard to ignore; while the hospitals and labs of America are seeing developments capable of healing and saving lives, the very same technology is increasingly constrained by red tape.
Healthcare in Louisiana is being transformed by AI. Ochsner Health continues to incorporate cutting-edge AI tools into its practice. The John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute is the first in the state to treat atrial fibrillation with the technology, helping physicians analyze and perform extremely delicate catheter ablation procedures. LSU Health in New Orleans repeatedly draws national attention for its innovative research, particularly in the field of AI, and was recently praised in business journal Biz New Orleans: “By integrating artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and data-privacy tools into traditional biomedical research, the institution is positioning itself at the forefront of a growing national effort to modernize healthcare innovation and expand Louisiana’s role in the life-sciences economy.” In Lafayette, Our Lady of Lourdes hospital is using AI during its biopsy process to detect lung cancer even earlier. Patients in Louisiana are gaining access to insights, care, and diagnoses previously inaccessible.
This trend is not isolated to our state, and new stories emerge daily of the technology streamlining medical procedures and offering hope to the sick and suffering. As is so often the case, there is a pacing problem between the law and the lab. Policies governing medical practice were often written before the age of AI, and new AI regulations can or are currently greatly impacting the development and use of medical AI.”Fear-based AI legislation on the state and federal levels continues to multiply, despite the White House’s statements against excessive state regulation in the most recent executive order on AI. When considering the life-saving power available, the stakes have never been higher. As with any medical technology, both regulatory clarity and support for practices that prove effective are urgently necessary.
Lawmakers can promote the effective, responsible use of AI in medicine by refraining from hasty legislation and preferring frameworks that empower researchers, practitioners, and patients alike. Generally, providing a free-market, pro-business environment to innovators will encourage the level of competition and progress that leads to breakthroughs. More specifically, creative policies to solve the roadblocks that too often accompany the introduction of new medical technologies are available. In coordination with AI scholars, Nexus Policy Consulting compiled a toolkit of recommendations that range from definitions to model policy. Among the solutions offered to lawmakers: distinguishing between different levels of AI involvement in medicine in order to provide additional clarity, enshrining patient’s rights to AI-derived medical data into law, and creating systems to cover or reimburse for AI medical devices.
This approach is a powerful one: providing guidelines where needed but avoiding preemptive and restrictive measures, with an eye toward future advancements the technology might bring. The labs and the laws of this nation can both work to protect and improve lives.
Links to Learn More
AI OPPORTUNITY: The Abundance Institute
Overcoming Paternalistic Barriers to Personalized Medicine in the AI Age: R Street Institute
