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Korea and the U.S. are joining forces to host a global symposium on artificial intelligence (AI)-based medical products, a field that is expected to revolutionize the healthcare industry.
The symposium, named “AI Regulatory and International Symposium 2024 (AIRIS 2024),” will take place in Seoul from Feb. 26-29, 2024. It will bring together regulators, industry experts, and academics from around the world to share their insights and experiences on the development and regulation of AI medical products.
What are AI medical products?
AI medical products are devices or software that use AI technology to diagnose, treat, monitor, or prevent diseases. They can range from wearable sensors that track vital signs to software that analyzes medical images, to robots that perform surgery.
AI medical products have the potential to improve the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of health care, as well as to reduce costs and errors. However, they also pose new challenges and risks, such as ensuring safety, effectiveness, reliability, and ethical use.
Why is the symposium important?
The symposium is important because it will provide a platform for global collaboration and coordination on the regulation of AI medical products, which is essential to fostering innovation and trust in this emerging field.
Korea, which has been recognized by the international community for its advanced capabilities in regulating AI medical products, will lead the global regulatory arrangements. The symposium will showcase Korea’s excellent regulatory practices and standards, as well as its achievements and vision in the field of bio-digital health.
The symposium will also strengthen the Korea-U.S. Alliance for Advanced Science and Technology, which was formed in April 2023 when President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the U.S. The alliance aims to promote technical cooperation and joint research on high-tech innovations, including AI medical products.
What will be discussed at the symposium?
The symposium will cover various topics related to AI medical products, such as:
- The current status and future trends of AI medical product development and innovation
- The opportunities and challenges of AI medical product adoption and implementation
- The best practices and lessons learned from AI medical product regulation and evaluation
- The global regulatory harmonization and convergence of AI medical product standards and guidelines
- The ethical, social, and legal implications of AI medical product use and impact
The symposium will also feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, exhibitions, and networking sessions.
How to participate in the symposium?
The symposium is open to anyone interested in AI medical products, such as regulators, industry professionals, researchers, educators, students, policymakers, and media representatives.
The registration process and the detailed program information are available on the official website at https://airis2024.org.
The symposium is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants from over 50 countries.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), which is organizing the symposium jointly with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that it expects the symposium to serve as a springboard for Korea to become a global center for bio-digital health based on the strong Korea-U.S. high-tech alliance.
“We will continue to do our best to lead international standards in medical products with advanced technologies,” the ministry said.
What are some examples of AI medical products?
AI medical products are devices or software that use artificial intelligence technology to diagnose, treat, monitor, or prevent diseases. They can range from wearable sensors that monitor vital signs to software that analyzes medical images to surgical robots.
Here are some examples of artificial intelligence medical products:
- Precision medicine: Artificial intelligence (AI) can help tailor treatments to individual patients based on genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
- Clinical judgment or diagnosis: By analyzing large amounts of data and images, AI can assist doctors in making faster and more accurate diagnoses.
- AI-assisted robotic surgery: Artificial intelligence can assist surgeons in performing complex and delicate procedures with greater precision and accuracy.
- Drug discovery: AI can help speed up the process of discovering new drugs and testing their safety and efficacy.
