AI in Healthcare: Equity, Safety and Collaboration Must Lead the Way

Adelaide PHN Digital Health Project Officer Dana Esposito was in attendance for the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) AI Care 2025 conference in Brisbane, which brought together healthcare leaders, clinicians, policy makers and technology innovators to drive practical solutions for the real-world adaption of AI in healthcare.

The message was clear – AI is no longer an emerging technology; it is here now.

The conference reinforced that success depends on equity, safety, and collaboration.

AI offers huge potential for efficiency and better care, but we must ensure communities are represented in training data, respect data sovereignty, and partner with consumers, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally diverse communities.

Dr Paul Miles, from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, said "fear is not a barrier, it's data" on the need to build trust together.

Digital scribes and other tools show promise and are changing the way we work, but governance, privacy, and clinician oversight remain critical.

AI is never 'set and forget'. Avoid automation biase, question outputs, and keep the human lens front and centre. Co-design with clinicians and consumers is key to ethical, secure, and sustainable care.