New joint project with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics on AI and genomics futures

The Ada Lovelace Institute is delighted to announce a new project with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, to explore AI and genomics futures.

The convergence of AI and genomics technologies is poised to have a significant impact on medical research, healthcare and societies across the globe. Together these technologies could create novel research techniques, enable more accurate predictions about a person’s health, perhaps from birth, and create personalised treatments and therapies.

The UK Government’s 10-year genomics healthcare strategy commits to understanding, through the use of machine learning and AI, how it might be possible to improve and implement genomically informed healthcare and prevention in the NHS. The implications of research in this area are likely to extend beyond healthcare into other areas such as education and criminal justice.

A number of sectors within health and AI tech development, which operate within different work cultures and, in some cases, under different governance and ethical frameworks, are researching and collaborating on genomics and AI. There are also gaps in knowledge about where research at the intersection of AI and genomics is taking place, and the topics under investigation.

This new joint research project aims to build a better understanding of these factors in order to help identify possible future trends and potential health and non-health applications. It will allow us to consider the potential ethical and social implications. We will use these insights to inform decision makers as they prepare for future scenarios of genomics and AI technologies.

Danielle Hamm, Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said:

‘We look forward to working with the Ada Lovelace Institute to facilitate conversations between researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of AI and genomics. This will enable us to explore, through the lens of ethics, the horizons and potential opportunities of this ground-breaking field of research.’

Carly Kind, Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, said:

‘We are excited to work with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics to explore the future implications of AI and genomics research. Our hope is this project will help policymakers and practitioners anticipate future opportunities and risks that may arise from the convergence of these fields.’

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