ERC report analyses research to advance methods and tools for medical AI

The European Research Council (ERC) has published a report analysing how frontier AI research can help deliver EU rules on trustworthy AI in health. Against the background of AI rapidly transforming health research and healthcare, the report analyses the ERC-funded research portfolio in this area and highlights how frontier projects are advancing methods and tools for medical AI. The report also shows how such research can contribute to the broader goal of ensuring that AI used in health is safe, trustworthy and aligned with emerging EU rules.

The new Feedback to Policy report analyses 238 ERC projects using AI in health, funded under FP7, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, with a total budget of € 450 million. The study shows how AI-based models, clinical decision-support systems and platforms – including machine learning and deep learning – are being developed to enable earlier disease detection and more personalised risk prediction, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. It also highlights how AI supports the integration of multi-omics, phenotypic and health data, and contributes across the medicine’s lifecycle, from drug discovery to clinical trials.

The report shows how ERC projects can support the implementation of the EU AI Act, which classifies most AI-based software intended for medical purposes as ‘high-risk’, as well as the European Health Data Space and the EU’s Apply AI Strategy. ERC-funded researchers highlight the need for rigorous validation, robust risk management, high-quality data, transparency and meaningful human oversight, alongside secure infrastructures and clear data governance.

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