Artificial intelligence in healthcare: how to combine innovation, empathy and inclusion

Reflecting on artificial intelligence does not mean envisaging futuristic scenarios. AI is already among us and is revolutionising every field: economic, social, industrial, cultural. But it is in healthcare that this revolution shows its full force because the innovative drive is combined with a human, empathic component that no algorithm will be able to replace completely.

This is why it is essential to reflect together on the impact that AI will have, and is already having, on the healthcare system, with a special focus on those who build the healthcare enterprise of tomorrow. With the Italian government, first in Europe, we have implemented the AI Act and given birth to a law on artificial intelligence that gives prospects and certainties.

Artificial intelligence is a real opportunity not only to automate administrative tasks, such as trivially managing medical records or bookings, but to free up time, resources and creativity, to rethink business models, to integrate services such as telemedicine, to transform facilities into true innovation hubs. Imagine facilities where artificial intelligence supports triage, diagnosis and personalised management of treatment paths.

Imagine being able to build tailor-made healthcare offers based on real data, behaviour, lifestyle, preferences expressed by patients, or developing new services with the predictive support of AI such as personalised healthcare subscriptions, remote diagnosis, advanced interfaces with the insurance system. This revolution is not only about technology, but also about entrepreneurial culture: we need to build ecosystems capable of bringing together clinical, technical and managerial skills, we need to dialogue with universities and research centres, with institutions, and the government is facilitating this relationship.

However, risks must also be addressed. The first is that of delegating too much, that is, of thinking that the algorithm can decide for us. Instead, we must strengthen human autonomy and responsibility, especially when it comes to care. The second is that of security. Health data are among the most valuable and among the most vulnerable to attacks. We therefore need adequate protection, a culture of security and a culture of investing in security. The third risk is that of inequalities. If access to innovation is reserved for a few, we risk creating a two-speed healthcare, two classes of patients, two classes of doctors.

But there is also great potential in the human relationship augmented by technology. We should not see artificial intelligence and practitioners as in conflict. Instead, we can imagine hybrid models: chatbots that support continuous dialogue, systems that help the doctor understand the emotional state of the patient, simulation environments for training that is crucial. It is possible to build augmented care where the machine helps the person to be more empathetic, more present, more effective.

Finally, there is the big issue of ethics. Who determines what artificial intelligence can and cannot do in healthcare? The role of the state in this regard is fundamental, it must guarantee rights, safety, and inclusion, but no public strategy can be truly effective without the active contribution of the private world. It is in the collaboration between public and private that a true laboratory of applied ethics, capable of combining innovation and responsibility, can emerge. All facilities, both public and private, can play a leading role in this process, promoting transparency, co-planning with patients, attention to privacy, and a conscious and inclusive use of data.

The artificial intelligence revolution in healthcare, therefore, presents us with a choice: we can either undergo it or instead lead it with courage, responsibility and a vision that combines innovation, empathy and inclusion.