New Innovation Models in Medical AI

In recent years, scientists and researchers have devoted considerable resources to developing medical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Many of these technologies—particularly those which resemble traditional medical devices in their functions—have received substantial attention in the legal and policy literature. But other types of novel AI technologies, such as those that relate to quality improvement and optimizing use of scarce facilities, have been largely absent from the discussion thus far. These AI innovations have the potential to shed light on important aspects of health innovation policy.

Perhaps most notably, data possession and control play a larger role in determining capacity to innovate in this space, while ability to satisfy the quality standards of regulators and payers plays a smaller role, relative to more familiar biomedical innovations such as new drugs and devices.