Intermountain Launches New AI Center To Guide Ethical Deployments And Prevent Care Disparities

The new data science and AI center aims to "establish appropriate AI governance, set validation and documentation standards, detect inherent bias, ensure data integrity and promote AI literacy among caregivers."

– Intermountain notes that there are more than 130 and counting that have been FDA-approved or cleared, designed to improve detection and treatment of breast cancer, sickle cell disease, schizophrenia and more – the aim, officials say, is to set some guidelines that can help its two-dozen hospitals and 225 clinics spot algorithmic bias, combat care disparities and help ensure "responsible and ethical AI" while also safeguarding the patient experience. The aim of the new center of excellence is to broaden and fine-tune policies around AI and machine learning, to improve how they're used  to inform care delivery, officials say. "The work of this new Center of Excellence – which brings together the right algorithms and data at the right time – enables our caregivers to care for people with the best evidence and decision-support in the moment," Dr. Mark Briesacher, chief physician executive for Intermountain, said in a statement. AI presents providers with data-driven insights and suggested next actions for evidence-based care plans, treatments and interventions for patients," Dr. Diego Ize-Ludlow, Intermountain's chief health information officer, said in a statement.