Artificial Intelligence in Health

Digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence are transforming personalised healthcare. By supporting the wider adoption of digital health technologies, Europe can achieve a triple win: better healthcare outcomes for patients, more financially sustainable healthcare systems and a stronger, more competitive economy.

The Commission recognises healthcare as a strategic sector in both the Competitiveness Compass and the AI Continent Action Plan. This reflects the priorities set out by President von der Leyen in her political guidelines (2024-2029) and aligns with the recommendations of the Letta and Draghi reports.

To secure European leadership in trustworthy AI and advanced medical technologies, the European Union is investing across the entire AI value chain:

Infrastructure for AI

• Supercomputing: the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has launched 19 AI Factories to give start-ups and SMEs access to supercomputing resources for AI development, 17 of which focus on healthcare, among other topics. The Commission is also investing in AI Gigafactories, large-scale facilities capable of training the most complex AI models.
• Chips: The review of the Chips Act will strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in the design and production of AI semiconductors. These are crucial for a wide range of healthcare applications, including AI-powered wearables, implantable sensors, miniaturised connected devices, diagnostics tools and AI-enabled medical robots.
• Cloud: To boost private investment in cloud capacity and data centres, the Commission will propose a Cloud and AI Development Act. This will drive innovation across healthcare, supporting the uptake of AI-powered diagnostics and decision, new patient-centred care models, preventive health, behavioural interventions and more.

Robust and trustworthy AI models

Data

Data is fundamental to developing robust and trustworthy AI models. To unlock its full potential, the Commission launched a Data Union Strategy focused on 3 priority areas: 

1. scaling up data for AI to ensure businesses have access to high-quality data innovation
2. streamlining data rules to give legal certainty and reduce compliance costs
3. strengthening the EU’s global position on international data flows

Health data infrastructures funded through the DIGITAL Programme will accelerate AI innovation and deployment by providing secure and interoperable access to high-quality data. These infrastructures will link with AI Factories and Gigafactories and advance the objectives of the Apply AI Strategy and of the European Health Data Space:

• The European Cancer Imaging Initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of innovative AI solutions and algorithms based on imaging data for personalised cancer prevention, treatment and care. The Cancer Image Europe infrastructure will provide access to 60 million cancer images by the end of 2026.
• The 1+ Million Genomes Initiative enables secure access to genomic and corresponding clinical data across Europe. 26 Member States are building the Genomic Data Infrastructure, with 15 expected to have it operational - i.e. with common technical specifications fully implemented and capable of managing genomic data access - by late 2026. By harnessing genomic data and enabling cross-border research, 1+MG will help identify similar patient cases and accelerate the resolution of rare and undiagnosed diseases, supported increasingly by AI.
• The European Virtual Human Twins (VHT) Initiative supports the development and adoption of next-generation VHT solutions for health and care. Its cornerstone will be an EU-funded advanced platform for VHT modelling, integration and validation.
• The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) data infrastructure will facilitate the deployment of predictive models, decision support tools, and AI models for risk prevention in six clinical use cases.

Enabling regulatory framework

The AI Act, together with the Medical Devices Regulations, provides a clear framework for the safe and ethical deployment of AI in healthcare. It promotes innovation while ensuring that AI solutions entering the European single market are transparent, reliable and trustworthy. By harmonising rules across Member States, the AI Act strengthens legal certainty and predictability for innovators while building trust among patients and healthcare professionals.

In the digital omnibus package presented on 19 November, the Commission proposed targeted simplification measures to ensure timely, smooth, and proportionate implementation of certain of the AI Act’s provisions.

Real-world AI applications

The Commission is supporting the uptake of innovative AI-driven solutions in prevention, diagnosis and treatment:

• The Apply AI Strategy translates Europe's AI ambitions into practical measures, scaling up industrial and clinical uses of AI in sectors such as healthcare, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. For example, the Commission will establish AI-powered advanced screening centres to improve early detection of cancer and cardiovascular diseases – leveraging the EU Cancer Imaging Initiative and 1+Million Genomes Initiative.
• GenAI4EU aims to deploy Generative AI across Europe’s strategic sectors, including healthcare, with over EUR 700 Million under the Horizon Europe and DIGITAL programmes.
• The Testing and Experimentation Facility for Health, Testing and Experimentation Facility for Health, co-funded by the Commission under the DIGITAL programme, enables SMEs to test AI solutions in real-world clinical environments. Through regulatory sandboxes, TEF-Health helps ensure products meet safety and regulatory requirements, including under the AI Act and Medical Device Regulations.

Building the digital health ecosystem

The Digital Decade target of ensuring that 100% of EU citizens have online access to their electronic health records by 2030 is a key driver of digital transformation in healthcare.

The Commission is building robust digital health ecosystems that bring together industry, researchers, innovators, SMEs, healthcare providers, patient representatives and Member States. This collaborative spirt is reflected in the growing number of partners joining Cancer Image Europe, the Genomic Data infrastructure and the European Virtual Human Twins Initiative.

The Apply AI Alliance plays a central role in this effort, connecting stakeholders, promoting best practices and encouraging cross-border cooperation to ensure that AI innovation strengthens healthcare systems across Europe.

The European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) Network is also a key pillar of the EU’s AI innovation ecosystem. Of the 163 EDIHs funded under the DIGITAL programme, 82 cover healthcare, providing “test before invest” services that help innovators and SMEs bring new solutions to market and encourage adoption by end-users.

To ensure healthcare professionals can fully benefit from these technologies, the DIGITAL and EU4Health programmes are supporting advanced training and upskilling initiatives in digital health and AI, co-designed with higher education institutions, research organisations and industry.

As healthcare systems Face growing cybersecurity threats, the Commission has adopted an Action Plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers, implemented in close collaboration with Member States, healthcare providers and the cybersecurity community, to protect sensitive medical data and ensure system resilience.