Unified approach

AI also has a pivotal role to play in dealing with the rising global burden of chronic disease and the growing need for drug development.

At the forum, Professor Xu Ming of Peking University addressed AI's impact on international clinical trials, using oncology drug development as an example.

"AI optimizes trials through automated participant screening, image analysis, and using real-world data to create synthetic control arms," Xu said.

He also emphasized the need for improvement of regulations to ensure ethical reviews and data security. Low- and middle-income countries should have equitable access to the technology, he added.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, AI applications in medical technology are seeing common challenges in areas such as access, capability and public trust, Su Fen Ong, an expert with the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association's Digital Health & AI Committee, said at the forum.

Issues that need to be addressed include reimbursement mechanisms, cultivation of med-tech talent, and fostering cross-border data agreements. A multi-stakeholder governance system is also essential to realize AI's full value in healthcare, she added.

A number of experts at the forum recognized AI's huge potential in medical technology. They agreed that AI's healthcare applications are expanding beyond hospital-based tasks like diagnostics and administration, and reaching into areas like home care and chronic disease management.

Globally, consensus is growing on the need for safety, ethics, and regulation of AI medical products.

Joint efforts, transnational cooperation, and integrated hardware-software solutions are pathways to achieve a global impact, the experts said.

For patients like Xu's mother, AI healthcare is no longer abstract tech, but a new hope for a more efficient system.

"While innovations like Agent Hospital tackle these inefficiencies — coordinating care and freeing doctors — their true power for millions hinges on solving the bigger picture: ensuring ethical, equitable access across divides," Liu from the institute said.