The level of preparedness of governance, and not the speed at which technology is deployed, should be the central parameter for evaluating the responsible progress of artificial intelligence (AI) in health systems, according to a new report released by the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe).
The document gathers the main contributions from the first WHO Knowledge Community on responsible AI in health, a structured online dialogue process lasting five weeks held between October and December 2025.
This Knowledge Community brought together researchers, policymakers, and digital health specialists from 105 countries in the WHO European Region and other parts of the world, with the aim of reaching a shared vision of what it means to apply responsible AI in the health field and what conditions are necessary to make it a reality.
Among the conclusions, participants agreed that the greatest challenge for responsible AI in health does not lie in the technology itself, but in the strength of the institutions that must regulate and oversee it. They also identified persistent barriers to safe and effective use as fragmented and biased datasets, lack of clarity regarding responsibilities, and deficiencies in AI literacy.
The report also lists various facilitating factors, including the existence of robust governance frameworks, co-design with patients and health professionals, transparency in processes, and equitable access to both data and tools.
Furthermore, the text argues that ethics must be incorporated into the daily functioning of health systems, rather than being treated as a list of principles applied only once at the time of introducing a new technology. Participants insisted that this requires constant oversight and, in some cases, being willing to postpone or even completely discard an AI tool when it cannot be governed responsibly.
Priority actions for responsible AI
From these exchanges, the participants defined a set of urgent priorities, warning that postponing them could generate greater risks than those associated with delaying the technological adoption itself. Among these priorities are governance, data, validation, strengthening the capacity of the workforce, and the active involvement of patients, communities, and frontline professionals.
WHO/Europe plans to leverage the momentum generated by the Knowledge Community through ongoing technical dialogue, regional exchange forums, and capacity strengthening actions, with the aim of transforming these conclusions into concrete guidance and practical support for countries.
The perspectives gathered in the report reflect the opinions of the participants in the Knowledge Community and do not necessarily represent the official position of WHO, even when they align with the existing guidelines of the Organization.
As the report itself indicates, the Community did not constitute a statistically representative sample of all stakeholders, but its results provide candid and detailed insights from those working directly with AI in the health sector.