PANEL DISCUSSION

Unlocking the Potential of Artificial Intelligence and Foresight for Evidence-Informed Policymaking 

day3

14:00–14:50 (CEST)

The session will provide a platform for speakers to engage in a lively debate on the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Foresight in the field of Evidence-Informed Policymaking (EIPM).

Foresight is a systematic participatory process, aimed at informing present-day decisions and mobilizing joint actions, key features to support policymaking. Many tools and methods have been developed for the application of foresight for policymaking, ensuring that policymaking is trustworthy and future fit. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the transformative power to process data, provide predictive insights, streamline decision-making, and personalize interventions, revolutionizing evidence-informed policymaking. AI methods, including machine learning, deep learning, neural network, or any other applications are used to enable the full or semi-autonomous performance of one or more stages in the development of evidence synthesis to inform policy making.  Automated tools and platforms such as RobotReviewer, Abstrackr, SWIFT-active screener, Covidence, Systematic Review Accelerator are applied  in the synthesis of evidence, and for the facilitation and uptake of this evidence by different actors across health systems.

The session will provide a platform for speakers to engage in a lively debate on the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Foresight in the field of Evidence-Informed Policymaking (EIPM). The session aims to inspire participants to engage with foresight and AI tools and technologies, actively and ethically, thereby fostering a better understanding of the various ways in which AI can unlock new possibilities and advancements in EIP. By sharing insights, experiences, and ideas, participants will contribute to shaping the future of evidence-informed policymaking with the integration of AI and foresight.

See all presentations here

Key questions and session highlights

  • What is the additional value of foresight for evidence-informed policy making, both for short-term political cycles and long-term societal goals?
  • What is the potential that AI can unlock in the EIPM field?
  • What are the current AI tools being applied to EIPM?
  • What are the current experiences addressing ethical concerns about the use of AI? 

 

Moderators

Reveiz-R

Ludovic Reveiz

WHO Regional Advisor, Scientific Evidence and Health Research Management, Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, Pan-American Health Organization, United States of America

Dr. Ludovic Reveiz is the regional advisor of health research management and evidence within the Department for Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health at PAHO/WHO. Dr Reveiz has played a key role strengthening health research governance and management in national health research systems and implementing effective evidence-informed health interventions. As a physician by training with a MSc in Clinical Epidemiology and a PhD in Public health, Dr. Reveiz has authored or co-authored more than 150 scholarly articles, book chapters and commentaries.
Show less Short biography
Saenz-R

Carla Saenz

Advisor, Bioethics, Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, Pan-American Health Organization, United States of America

​​Carla Saenz is responsible for the Pan American Health Organization’s Regional Program on Bioethics. A Hastings Center fellow, she holds a PhD in Philosophy (University of Texas at Austin) and came to PAHO from NIH’s Department of Bioethics after teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.​
Show less Short biography

 

Panelists

Marith Volp

Director of Public Health and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Kingdom of the Netherlands 

Marith Volp studied Medicine and worked as a GP in Amsterdam from 2006 to 2017. From 2013 to 2017, she was a member of the Dutch parliament. From 2019 to 2020 she was director of an acute and forensic psychiatry division of a regional psychiatric care organization. Since September 2020 she is director Public Health and Health Services at the RIVM.
Show less Short biography

Mehdi Snène

CEO ad interim, The International Digital Health and AI Research Collaborative (I-DAIR), Switzerland

Dr. Mehdi Snène is a seasoned science and tech specialist, with a focus on the intersections of digital health, AI, neuroscience, quantum computing, and ethics. Currently, he is the Chief AI Officer at I-DAIR, where he is leading the development of responsible AI framework for health in collaboration with IDRC, AI enabled digital biomarkers for patient reported outcomes monitoring, and pioneering research in quantum computing and AI. In the past, he founded a Brain research lab at the University of Geneva and has been at the forefront of harnessing AI technology to improve quality of life and end of life for individuals with neuro-degenerative diseases. He has also served in leadership roles at EPFL, notably providing technical leadership for the Human Brain Project, a one billion euro European initiative with the goal of building a European brain simulation platform and a neuromorphic computing infrastructure for advanced AI applications.
Show less Short biography
Elliott

Julian Elliott

Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University and CEO Covidence, Australia

Professor Elliott is one of the world’s leading researchers in the use of technology for evidence synthesis. He developed the Living Evidence model: high quality systematic reviews and guidelines that are kept continually up to date with the latest research. This model dramatically improves the currency of high-quality evidence and is now being adopted worldwide, including by the World Health Organization and other major organizations. Prof Elliott was the founding Chair of the Australian Living Evidence Consortium and established the Australian National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, both based at Cochrane Australia within Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Prof Elliott is also the co-founder and CEO of the Future Evidence Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the Living Evidence model and provides Covidence, the most widely used software platform for systematic reviews globally. In 2017 Prof Elliott was the recipient of the Australian Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.
Show less Short biography

 

Coelho-R

Eduardo Coelho

Associate Professor, Ribeirao Preto Medical School/University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

I am a Nephrologist with a Ph.D. in Internal Medicine and professor at Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo for over 20 years. I have been a consultant for PAHO-Brazil for the past three years, utilizing AI tools in electronic health records to conduct COVID-19 research.
Show less Short biography