Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has announced the launch of a regulatory office that will help the healthcare sector deploy AI innovations safely.
The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) aims to reduce the administrative burden for businesses wanting to bring new products and services to market, so they can reach the public more quickly and help stimulate the economy.
A press releasepublished by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on October 8, 2024, states that the RIO “will help regulators update regulations, speeding up approvals and ensuring that different agencies regulatory bodies work together seamlessly.”
He adds that the RIO will initially support four technology areas: AI and digital in healthcare, connected and autonomous technologies, engineering biology and space.
The RIO will work with the Department of Health and Social Care to help safely deploy AI innovations, such as AI training software for surgeons.
In a statement, Kyle said: “From advances that could help doctors diagnose illnesses earlier to satellite navigation for more accurate weather forecasts and getting emergency supplies where they are needed, quickly and efficiently , RIO will ensure that British businesses are at the forefront. of the next generation of technologies.
Applications are welcome for the first RIO Chair, who DSIT says will be appointed to “lead the charge in supporting business and safe innovation, and work with regulators and partners to shape a regulatory environment fit for purpose. the future”.
The office will bring regulators together and work to remove barriers and outdated regulations for the benefit of businesses and the public by continually informing government of regulatory barriers to innovation, setting priorities for regulators that align with the government’s wider ambitions and helping regulators develop the capabilities they need to respond to them and grow the economy.
It was created within the DSIT, where it will integrate the existing functions of the Regulatory Horizons Councill and the Pioneer Regulators Fund.
The government has also outlined how it will approach quantum regulation, in its response to the Regulatory Horizon Council report on quantum technologiespublished on October 8, 2024.
This is the first step in regulating innovation in this technology that aims to power more and more powerful computers, in sectors ranging from healthcare to national security.
In July 2024, DSIT announced £100 million of funding for research hubs to develop quantum technologies in areas such as healthcare and cybersecurity.
The hubs are intended to be centers of progress in areas such as quantum-enhanced blood testing, faster MRI scannersand new surgical interventions and treatments.
At the same time, in May 2024, the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency launched its regulatory sandbox, AI Airlockto address the challenges related to the regulation of medical devices using AI.
