21 May 2025 – In Helsinki, Finland, over 400 representatives from ministries, health professionals, experts, patient associations, and international organizations gathered to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and its human rights implications. The Conference, entitled “AI Healthcare And Human Rights – Supporting Patients, Enabling Doctors, Safeguarding The Therapeutic Relationship”, was organized by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, in cooperation with the Council of Europe.

The conference built upon a report prepared by the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO) of the Council of Europe on the impact of AI on the “patient–doctor” relationship, released in September 2024. Discussions covered the need for informed consent when personal health data are used for AI training, and the critical information patients require when engaging with AI systems.

Among the distinguished speakers, Finnish Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen highlighted AI’s vast potential in healthcare innovation, while stressing that patient privacy and self-determination must not be compromised. Furthermore, Denis Huber, Head of the Council of Europe Health Department, emphasized that AI cannot replace human empathy, cognition, and trust in medical care.

PAM, with the support of its Centre for Global Studies (CGS), promotes the ethical, safe, secure and inclusive use of AI across sectors, including healthcare, with a focus on safeguarding individual rights and public trust.

Central to this vision is the One Health approach, which serves as a priority area of research for PAM-CGS.

In this context, PAM-CGS is cooperating with the G20 and G7 Health and Development Partnership and will contribute to the upcoming Health20 Summit on 19–20 June 2025 held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

Learn more: https://www.coe.int/en/web/human-rights-and-biomedicine/Conference%20on%20AI-Enabled%20Healthcare%20and%20Human%20Rights