The WHO Knowledge Community on Artificial Intelligence in Health is designed to bring together a diverse, multidisciplinary network of stakeholders—governments, academia, private sector, NGOs and more—to collaboratively explore how AI can be used in health systems responsibly, ethically, and equitably. The aim of the project is to help deepen understanding of AI’s opportunities and risks in health, inform policy and governance, and supports the development of practical, evidence-based guidance that aligns with global digital health strategies (WHO AI).
The WHO Knowledge Community on Digital Mental Health Technologies Regulation functions to facilitate regulators, developers, service-users, academia, industry and civil society in exploring how digital mental health tools should be regulated across their lifecycle. Through structured dialogue and shared experience the community’s purpose is to identify evidence-informed, proportionate regulatory approaches for digital mental health technologies (from development to post-market oversight), address key topics such as user-centred design, sufficient evidence for safety and effectiveness, and accountability and trust and to inform a joint WHO report on current frameworks and oversight gaps (WHO Digital Mental Health).
Both of these initiatives are being supported with the experience of European psychology, articulated in EFPA’s 6 digitalisation priorities: Co-Production of Regulation; People-Centred Development; Transparent & Controllable; Digital Literacy & Accessibility; Navigable Digital Determinants; Enhance, Not Replace (EFPA Digitalisation Priorities).
The regulatory aspects of this work align with the Federation’s active engagement in relation to European regulation of technologies that impact mental health, including EFPA joining last year the European Commission’s Health Technology Assessment Stakeholder Network (EC Health Technology Assessment Stakeholder Network).