"In this regard, the UK Government seems to be heading down a strange path. As it seeks to supercharge its AI capabilities (including within the National Health Service), the Government risks undermining patient trust in the healthcare system it is trying to improve by outsourcing functionality to US companies. The increasing involvement of multinational commercial entities in UK healthcare prompts real concerns over how sensitive UK health data is going to be handled."
"Last week saw a huge boom for the UK's technology sector, with American tech firms (including Google, OpenAI and Microsoft) collectively investing billions of pounds into the UK's artificial intelligence (AI) and tech infrastructure. The UK government hailed these investments as signifying a 'generational step-change' with the UK's relationship with the US, describing the investments as an element of a new 'Tech Prosperity Deal'."
"In July of this year, the UK released its 10 year health plan, which emphasised the centrality of technology, innovation and AI in the Government's plans for the National Health Service's next decade. Critically, the plan stated that to move the NHS to the 21st century, its unique advantages will be used, including the NHS's 'world-leading data'. Something that has also been suggested by political commentators as an important step in fuelling the UK's AI investment."
AI adoption in public services poses particular risks when applied to health data because patient trust depends on safe data handling. Rapid deployment of AI can tempt policymakers to bypass robust safeguards. The UK government is pursuing expanded AI capability, including in the National Health Service, and is encouraging major US tech investments under a 'Tech Prosperity Deal'. Healthcare is a central focus of that deal and the UK's ten-year health plan emphasizes leveraging the NHS's extensive, longitudinal patient-level datasets. The NHS holds one of the most comprehensive health datasets globally, comprising repeated, lifetime patient records that yield deep insights into individual health and vulnerabilities.
Read at Privacy International
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