The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has published an AI Clinician Framework designed to guide research into artificial intelligence systems that could eventually perform clinical activities currently requiring a licensed healthcare professional.
Announced on 21 October at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, the framework establishes a foundation for future policies governing the research, evaluation and potential authorisation of AI clinician systems. It is described as a world-first regulatory framework for this emerging field.
The framework assesses each system’s competence according to the specific clinical activities it is intended to perform. Systems seeking approval for a broader range of clinical activities will need to provide stronger evidence of competence and safety. Patient protection remains central to the approach. Safeguards across all levels of clinical scope include physician oversight, clear accountability and referral to a physician when necessary.
Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori said, “Trust is the foundation on which every lasting advance in medicine is built, and artificial intelligence is no exception. The AI Clinician Framework builds upon that trust, enabling the next generation of AI clinician systems to be researched responsibly, with patient safety as the condition for every step forward.”
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Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi said, “The AI Clinician Framework sets rigorous requirements for research into the potential of AI clinician systems, with patient safety and physician oversight at its core. It gives innovators a clear and responsible path to study what comes next, and gives patients and physicians’ confidence that every advancement is earned through evidence.”
The framework will inform future DoH policies and standards, which will define permitted clinical activities, evidence requirements and evaluation thresholds.
Research will take place within Abu Dhabi’s “living lab” model, supported by integrated health infrastructure and governed clinical research pathways. The initiative forms part of the emirate’s broader strategy to advance AI-enabled healthcare innovation responsibly.
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