LISBON, 16th July, 2026 (WAM) -- Hans Henri P. Kluge, World Health Organisation's (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, warned that the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in European hospitals is outpacing the regulatory frameworks needed to govern its use, exposing patients to potential risks and undermining trust in health systems.

Speaking at a press conference in Lisbon on Tuesday, Kluge said AI tools are revolutionising health care by supporting diagnosis, improving workflows and helping ease pressure on health systems facing growing workforce shortages. "However, while the tools are in place, the regulations are nowhere to be found in most of the countries," he warned.

"That gap - between deployment and governance - is the defining challenge of AI in health right now," Kluge said. "A biased algorithm can produce a wrong diagnosis for a real patient, with real consequences."

He noted that two-thirds of the 53 WHO Europe countries are already deploying AI diagnostics and half of the countries have AI-powered patient chatbots, but only one in 12 have strategies for how to govern AI.

Only 8 percent of countries in the WHO European Region have a health-specific AI strategy, and almost 40 percent of countries have no ethical guidance on AI use in healthcare settings. As for education, only 1 in 5 countries provides AI education for healthcare students and only 1 in 4 offers training once they are in the workforce.

That's a "concerning" picture, Kluge said, stressing that this can take a toll on human health. "All of this erodes public trust in health systems more broadly," he warned.

In 2028, the WHO aims to launch a Roadmap on AI and Health.