Use of artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating in healthcare - but basic legal safety nets that protect patients and health workers are lacking.
The warning comes in a report by the UN World Health Organization's ( WHO ) office in Europe, where AI is already helping doctors to spot diseases, reduce administrative tasks and communicate with patients.
The technology is reshaping how care is delivered, data are interpreted, and resources are allocated.
"But without clear strategies, data privacy, legal guardrails and investment in AI literacy, we risk deepening inequities rather than reducing them," said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Transforming healthcare
The report is the first comprehensive assessment of how AI is being adopted and regulated in health systems across the region. The survey was sent to the 53 countries there, and 50 participated.
Although nearly all recognize how AI could transform healthcare - from diagnostics to disease surveillance to personalized medicine - only four countries have a dedicated national strategy and a further seven are developing one.
Some countries are taking proactive steps such as Estonia, where electronic health records, insurance data and population databases are linked in a unified platform that supports AI tools.
Finland also has invested in AI training for health workers, while Spain is piloting AI for early disease detection in primary healthcare.
