Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine: New AI Institute launched to drive healthcare innovation; MOU inked to reinforce strong governance

• The Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Institute (AIMI) will focus on:
  • Cutting edge AI research and integration into different medical specialties.
  • Ensuring safe, responsible AI adoption, emphasising patient safety and data privacy.
  • Promoting AI education for healthcare professionals and the public 
  • Collaborating with industry partners to drive commercialisation of AI innovations.

• A Memorandum of Understanding was inked with the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) to reinforce the commitment to responsible, safe and ethical application of AI inSingapore'shealthcare space.

SINGAPORE,March 18, 2025/PRNewswire/ -- The SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) announced the launch of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Institute (AIMI) at the opening ceremony of the AI Health World Summit 2025 today. The event was graced by Guest-of-Honour, MrTan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information.

AIMI is set to bring together SingHealth's data science and AI capabilities and Duke-NUS'academic network to drive research, education and commercialisation.

Fostering an environment for in-depth research, education and partnerships in AI

An increasingly integral and transformative force in healthcare, AI capabilities aid the diagnosis of diseases, guide clinical treatments, and enhance patient experience.  As AI continues to gain widespread use and acceptance, it has become essential to create an environment with the resources that supports healthcare professionals in integrating AI into their work.

AIMI aims to empower healthcare professionals across medical specialties with the expertise and support they need to create, develop and apply AI-driven solutions. The Institute will bridge the gap between technical expertise and clinical knowledge by fostering an environment that promotes meaningful partnerships with local and global experts in the field, and providing resources and grants to turn innovative ideas into reality.

To equip healthcare professionals and the public with AI knowledge, AIMI will introduce AI101, a flagship online training series offering foundational insights into AI's unique considerations and applications in healthcare.

While the use of AI has tremendous potential in unlocking benefits for patients and healthcare professionals, it is critical to ensure ethical, responsible and trustworthy applications. Through the development of guidelines, publications and policy recommendations, AIMI aims to promote a strong and robust governance framework as efforts to encourage adoption of AI increase. 

Associate ProfessorLiu Nan, Director of the Duke-NUS AI + Medical Sciences Initiative (DAISI) and Co-Director of AIMI, said:"AI has the power to revolutionise healthcare, but its adoption must be responsible and patient-centred. AIMI brings together expertise from healthcare, engineering and data science to transform data into vital intelligence that can be used to make critical care decisions faster at the patients'bedside. Beyond technology, we aim to cultivate future leaders who will drive AI advancements through strategic collaborations and education."

Please refer toAnnex Afor more details on AIMI.

MOU signing with CHAI to strengthen ethical AI deployment in healthcare

Another highlight of the AI Health World Summit 2025 was the inking of a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SingHealth,Singapore'slargest public healthcare cluster, and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), a non-profit organisation inthe United States of Americacommitted to developing industry best practices and frameworks to further innovation, safety, and security for health AI. This MOU, which marks CHAI's first international collaboration, aims to strengthenSingapore'sposition as a global hub for healthcare AI and enables the promotion of AI ethics worldwide.

Through this partnership, SingHealth and CHAI will jointly develop AI guidelines, white papers, publications and policy recommendations incorporating global best practices and regulatory insights to strengthen governance around  AI use inSingapore'shealthcare system. In addition, the two organisations will work together to implement educational initiatives aimed at enhancing AI literacy and responsible AI use that will be accessible for clinicians, developers and the public.

During the two years of the agreement, SingHealth and CHAI will host at least one Global Summit gathering experts, policymakers, and healthcare leaders from all over the world, to facilitate knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practices to deepen their standing as thought leaders on AI governance and ethics.

Associate ProfessorDaniel Ting, Director, AI Office, SingHealth and Co-Director of AIMI said:"As AI becomes more widely used in healthcare, it is crucial for the tech industry and regulatory bodies to collaborate closely and proactively develop comprehensive guidelines to ensure that AI-driven solutions are compliant and in accordance with stringent safety guidelines and governance frameworks. Our ultimate aim is to create transparent, explainable, and ethical AI systems that empower clinicians to deliver precise and personalised care to every patient, to achieve greater efficiency and positive outcomes in healthcare delivery."

Please refer toAnnex Bfor more details on the SingHealth-CHAI MOU.

About the AI Health World Summit 2025

Organised biennially by the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC with A*STAR as co-organiser, the AI Health World Summit serves as a pivotal gathering for global leaders across healthcare, academia, government, legal, and industry sectors to explore the latest advancements and applications of AI in healthcare.

The Summit features exciting plenary sessions covering a rich variety of topics including last-mile adoptions of AI technologies, clinical applications in healthcare, data governance frameworks, AI and data privacy safeguards, advancements in vision and language models tailored for health contexts, and explainable and responsible AI practices.

Notable speakers include ProfNigam Shah, Chief Data Scientist, Stanford Health Care,USA; ProfWong Tien Yin, Founding Head& Senior Vice-Chancellor, Tsinghua University,China; DrRupa Sarkar, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Digital Health, UK; and MrSim Feng-Ji, Deputy Secretary, Digital Government, Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI),Singapore. More information is available here:https://healthsummit.ai/

About SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre

The SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) draws on the collective strengths of SingHealth and Duke-NUS Medical School to provide our patients and community with the best outcomes and experience.

By leveraging the synergies in clinical care, research and education created through our Academic Clinical Programmes, Disease Centres and Joint Institutes, the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC fosters the exchange of scientific knowledge and clinical perspectives to accelerate innovation and new discoveries, advance the practice of medicine as well as nurture the next generation of healthcare professionals.

SingHealth delivers comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and integrated care across a network of acute hospitals, national specialty centres, polyclinics and community hospitals. Offering over 40 clinical specialties, SingHealth isSingapore'slargest public healthcare cluster.

Duke-NUS Medical School,Singapore'sflagship graduate entry medical school, nurtures multifaceted'Clinician Plus'graduates to become leaders in the global healthcare and biomedical ecosystem, while scientists from its five Signature Research Programmes and 10 Centres transform medicine and improve lives with groundbreaking scientific discoveries and translational innovations.

For more information, please visit:

www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg 

www.singhealth.com.sg

www.duke-nus.edu.sg

Annex A

About the SingHealth Duke-NUS Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Institute (AIMI) 

The SingHealth Duke-NUS Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Institute (AIMI) is a Joint Institute between SingHealth and Duke-NUS Medical School. AIMI brings together data science and AI capabilities from the hospital system and the university system, providing world class clinicians and AI scientists ease of access to each other's expertise. The institute also aims to facilitate collaboration, research and development in AI for healthcare locally and globally.

Focus Areas of AIMI:

• Promote bench-to-bedside AI research that meets evolving healthcare needs

AIMI aims to advance research by developing cutting edge research in AI in healthcare, providing access to resources, grants and local and global expertise in the field, catalysing the development of tools that meet the specific care needs of patients and the community inSingapore.

• Promote safe and responsible AI in the healthcare community

Through the development of AI guidelines, publications and policy recommendations, AIMI aims to drive efforts in AI governance to regulate the use of AI in the healthcare community and advocate for ethical treatment of healthcare data that puts patient safety and data privacy at the forefront.

• Support local and global commercialisation of AI Health innovations

AIMI aims to support the commercialization and licensing of AI innovations and spin-off of AI-driven startups, through partners in the AMC and ecosystem, and fostering collaborations with local and global industry partners, establishingSingaporeas a leader in AI healthcare innovation on the world map.

• Nurture the future pipeline of healthcare professionals

Through comprehensive training programmes, mentorships, and conferences, AIMI aims to promote the education of healthcare professionals and the public on AI applications in health, to grow the next generation of forward-looking, AI-literate healthcare professionals.

Annex B

About the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SingHealth and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI)

Overview

SingHealth and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) have entered a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance responsible AI in healthcare. This collaboration, which is CHAI's first international collaboration, will strengthenSingapore'sposition as a global hub for AI in healthcare while promoting ethical AI deployment worldwide.

About CHAI

CHAI is a non-profit organisation inthe United States of Americadedicated to establishing guidelines and best practices for the responsible use of AI in healthcare. Founded in 2021 by clinicians and data scientists, CHAI aims to ensure that AI technologies are safe, effective, and equitable.

The MOU outlines three primary areas of cooperation:

Singaporeas a Global AI Hub: Global Summit

SingHealth will co-host with CHAI a Global Summit inSingaporewithin the next two years, cementing the nation's status as a leading AI hub. This landmark event will attract global experts, policymakers, and healthcare leaders toSingapore, driving discussions on AI governance, ethics, and implementation. It will showcaseSingapore'sadvanced healthcare infrastructure and AI capabilities on the world stage.     

AI in Health Workgroups and Guideline Development   

SingHealth and CHAI will collaborate to develop AI guidelines, white papers, publications, and policy recommendations. This partnership will enableSingaporeto play a pivotal role in shaping global AI standards in healthcare, leveraging its unique position as a technologically advanced city-state with a robust healthcare system. The resulting publications will incorporateSingapore'sinnovative practices alongside global insights, potentially influencing AI regulations worldwide.

Raising Awareness of Trustworthy and Responsible AI in Healthcare           

The collaboration will focus on raising awareness of trustworthy and responsible AI in healthcare withinSingapore. Joint initiatives will educate local clinicians, developers, and policymakers on AI ethics, enhancingSingapore'sAI literacy across the healthcare ecosystem. By developing tailored educational materials and workshops, this partnership aims to nurture a new generation of AI-savvy healthcare professionals inSingapore.

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SOURCE SingHealth