The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has called for new laws to regulate AI products used in the NHS and other healthcare settings, citing the need for updated policies as the technology becomes more prevalent. The MHRA, which oversees medical devices and drug licensing, has published 44 recommendations to modernize its regulatory framework, according to a report by the BBC.

MHRA chief Lawrence Tallon told the BBC that AI will soon be a routine part of NHS care, but emphasized the importance of maintaining patient trust. 'What I would expect is that patients will... increasingly see AI as part of the way that normal NHS healthcare is delivered,' he said. 'That should happen in a way that they can maintain their trust and their confidence in what's happening.' The recommendations include continuous monitoring of AI products, transparency for patients, and penalties for developers who fail to meet standards.

The report was compiled by an independent commission and involved input from over 12,000 people, including patients and clinicians. Tallon noted that the current regulatory framework, which dates back to the era of traditional medical devices like hip replacements and stethoscopes, is inadequate for AI systems that evolve after approval. 'Unlike most of the medical products we're used to regulating, these products continue to change after the point of authorization,' he said. 'As new data gets fed in, they learn, they adapt, they drift.'

AI note-takers, or scribes, powered by large language models, are used by 40% of UK-based GPs. However, a study from the University of Edinburgh found that patients may be less likely to share sensitive information if they know the conversation is being processed by AI. Professor Henrietta Hughes, a GP involved in the report, said some patients opt out, with some stating, 'I don't want to talk to a robot.' She acknowledged that scribes can make mistakes but emphasized that doctors are responsible for correcting them.

While AI is currently used for administrative tasks and symptom spotting, experts see its potential in medical research. Professor Alastair Denniston, an ophthalmologist who worked on the report, called it 'an exceptional opportunity' for healthcare, comparable to breakthroughs like antibiotics and MRI. However, concerns remain about AI making incorrect decisions due to biased training data and providing flawed medical advice through chatbots.

The MHRA acknowledges that regulating AI is a global challenge, with no single country or framework having 'absolutely cracked it' at this time. The implementation of these recommendations remains uncertain, with no clear timeline for their adoption.