WHO warns Europe faces widening risks as AI outpaces regulation
Governments across the region recognise AI’s potential but lack national strategies, leaving legal uncertainty and financial constraints as the biggest barriers to adoption.
A new WHO Europe report warns that AI is advancing faster than health policies can keep up, risking wider inequalities without stronger safeguards. AI already helps doctors with diagnostics, reduces paperwork and improves patient communication, yet significant structural safeguards remain incomplete.
The assessment, covering 50 participating countries across the region, shows that governments acknowledge AI’s transformative potential in personalised medicine, disease surveillance and clinical efficiency. Only a small number, however, have established national strategies.
Estonia, Finland and Spain stand out for early adoption- whether through integrated digital records, AI training programmes or pilots in primary care- but most nations face mounting regulatory gaps.
Legal uncertainty remains the most common obstacle, with 86 percent of countries citing unclear rules as the primary barrier to adoption, followed by financial constraints. Fewer than 10 percent have liability standards defining responsibility when AI-driven decisions cause harm.
WHO urged governments to align AI policy with public health goals, strengthen legal and ethical frameworks, improve cross-border data governance and invest in an AI-literate workforce to ensure patients stay at the centre of the transformation.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
