Robotics, AI, and the future of healthcare: Chief Scientist Skourides’ EFMA address

The Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides, attended the 8th Annual Meeting of the European Forum for Medical Advancement (EFMA) in Limassol, Cyprus.

In his role as Technology Officer and AI Strategist, he delivered a speech addressing the critical question of whether Artificial Intelligence in the medical field is a risk or benefit.

Skourides said, “Artificial intelligence and robotics will augment medical professionals in what I refer to as Human Centric Augmentation, giving medical professionals AI superpowers.” During his address, he discussed the common misconception that ChatGPT alone can provide medical answers.

“While generative Intelligence can address many use-cases in healthcare – particularly related to administration – a more sophisticated, large language model trained with medical data is required to unlock value in the medical field,” Skourides noted.

He added that AI could be pivotal in “unlocking trapped value in medical diagnostics, preventive medicine, personalised medicine, treatment, and clinical trials.”

Furthermore, Skourides pointed to examples where AI is already being used, saying, “The introduction of Artificial Intelligence in medicine will help medical providers, doctors, and physicians to make informed decision-making faster, reducing medical risks for patients and ultimately making healthcare more affordable for citizens.”

In discussing the future of medical education, Skourides mentioned that integrating AI into the medical school curriculum is essential.

He stated, “Medical professionals will be equipped with the necessary tools to guard human life from various diseases.”

Reflecting on the progress of healthcare research in Cyprus, Skourides explained, “Since 2016, the government has granted €41m in funding, including €13.9m in Research, €7.5m in Knowledge Transfer, €9.5m in Innovation, €5.4m in Research Infrastructures, and €4.8m in Internationalisation.”

He also mentioned the achievements of Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos, recipient of an ERC Advanced Grant, for his work on “Overcoming Mechanically-Induced Resistance to Chemo-Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer” (“MechanoResistance”).

“This project aims to improve the treatment of pancreatic cancer,” Skourides added.

Additionally, Skourides highlighted Cypriot companies and researchers conducting healthcare-related research leveraging AI.

He said, “Innovative companies like Cat brain, Agora 3.0 by the German oncology hospital, and CSPARK by CSEO are exploring projects such as deploying ‘organs-on-chip’ on micro-cube-sats to study the impact of solar storms on humans in space.”

He also addressed the importance of patient health data, stating, “Nine best practices can help build confidence in data ethics.”

He assured the audience that managing risks related to technology and governance is feasible within regulatory frameworks.

In analysing the various applications of Generative AI in healthcare, Skourides emphasized that AI could significantly reduce administrative and operational costs.

He said, “AI can improve the patient experience through chatbots” and can “create value for both medical professionals and patients by enabling personalized healthcare at a lower cost in real time.”

He further commented on the importance of human-AI interaction, noting, “This allows humans to remain at the center of the loop while AI enhances the quality of life.”

Skourides also discussed how smart devices like smartwatches could be integrated into healthcare platforms.

He explained, “These devices can interface with electronic health records (EHR) and digital twins to create real-time 360-degree healthcare systems.”

However, he cautioned that organisations need to “ensure teams are comprised of chief compliance officers, data scientists, and AI engineers to address concerns related to security, privacy, and regulatory compliance, as well as reducing bias.”

During a panel discussion, chaired by Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General of the World Medical Association, Adv. Leah Wapner, Secretary General of the European Forum of Medical Associations, Hadas Bitran, Head of Health & Life Sciences at Microsoft Israel R&D Centre, and Oksana Souter, CEO of Swiss Organic Solutions, Skourides addressed questions regarding AI ethics and traceability.

He reassured the audience, stating, “With the EU AI framework, AI implementations should not be perceived as a threat to medical professionals.”

He added, “Medical doctors should view it as a co-pilot that can help reduce operational and information workloads, as well as life-threatening risks, improve decision-making, and help doctors focus on what matters for their patients.”

In closing, Skourides discussed the concept of “Doctors and physicians having new friends,” referring to the convergence of robotics with AI-powered medical language models.

He stated, “This will embed intelligence in robotic helpers for the elderly, nursing robots, next-generation AI-driven surgical robots, robotic surgery teams and AI chatbots interoperating with Digital Twin Health care platforms in line with DPA, HIPAA, GDPR and national requirements.”

Skourides expressed confidence that AI will be fundamental in assisting medical professionals, saying, “Through the EU AI Act framework, the government, healthcare industry, and society can manage the risks associated with ethics and privacy.”

He concluded by stressing the need for awareness and upskilling, stating, “Now is the time to embark on the awareness journey and upskill to leverage AI.”