Prime Highlights-
- Portugal becomes the first EU state to join HealthAI’s Global Regulatory Network, gaining access to reviewed AI health tools and an incident-reporting system.
- The move coincides with the EU’s AI Act taking effect across the bloc.
Key Facts-
- Portugal joins Britain, India, Brazil, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Zambia and Peru in the network.
- HealthAI CEO Baptista Leite says talks are underway with other EU states, calling Europe’s AI rules globally influential.
Background-
Portugal has become the first European Union member state to join HealthAI’s Global Regulatory Network (GRN), as the bloc moves ahead with new rules governing artificial intelligence.
Portugal’s healthcare regulator, Infarmed, signed the agreement with Geneva-based non-profit HealthAI. Membership gives the country access to a directory of AI health tools reviewed by regulators, along with a real-time system for sharing reports of harmful incidents.
With this step, Portugal joins Britain, India, Brazil, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Zambia and Peru in the network, which encourages countries to work together on AI governance in healthcare.
The move comes as the EU’s AI Act begins taking effect, coinciding with faster adoption of AI-powered tools across healthcare systems. Infarmed President Santos Ivo said working across borders and sharing knowledge offers a better path forward than tackling the challenge alone.
Government backers, among them Canada, Britain, Norway and Singapore, provide most of HealthAI’s funding. The group was formed to create common standards and governance structures for AI use across healthcare systems.
HealthAI Chief Executive Baptista Leite said the group is in discussions with other EU member states about joining the network. He noted that decisions made in Brussels are likely to influence AI regulation well beyond Europe’s borders, making it essential that the bloc’s approach is sound from the start.
