Regulation of Health AI Chatbots in Ontario
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made remarkable strides in healthcare, from revolutionizing medical imaging, patient support, research insight, and health education. However, a recent shift from query-based to interactive and regenerative AI presents a question of properly facilitating its development. Upon close inspection, regulations and policy adaptations lag behind the rapidly advancing field of medical AI which raises concerns over governance and societal implications. This paper explains some of the technical and ethical considerations surrounding the use of health AI applications with chatbots as a specific example. It evaluates the existing policies and regulations in Ontario, Canada, that govern the production and use of chatbots in healthcare. I provide recommendations revolving around new policies in areas lacking the necessary framework with a goal not to limit the use of chatbots, but instead facilitate the adaptation of chatbots and AI in healthcare to reduce the potential harm resulting from improper and outdated policies.