Europe needs to catch up with the AI surge in hospitals, WHO says

Published on

16/07/2026 - 6:18 GMT+2

Artificial intelligence tools are revolutionising health care, giving hope to an overstretched health workforce. From diagnostic tools to better workflows — AI is helping healthcare systems across Europe. However, while the tools are in place, the regulations are nowhere to be found in most of the countries, World Health Organization (WHO) Europe chief Hans Henri P. Kluge warned.

That gap — between deployment and governance — is the defining challenge of AI in health right now,” Kluge said in a press conference in Lisbon on 15 July.

The longer that gap persists — the higher the human cost, he warned.