Launched this month, HALO (Health AI and Law in Ottawa) brings together experts from across the University of Ottawa to support the responsible development and deployment of health AI technologies. The initiative combines expertise in health data, artificial intelligence, law, policy, ethics, and governance, while connecting academic researchers with hospitals, governments, and industry partners.
The Faculty of Law’s contribution is led by the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics and the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, which will help address critical questions relating to privacy, data governance, AI regulation, public trust, and Canadian health data sovereignty.
As Professor Vanessa Gruben, Director of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, explains: “A commitment to investing in health data and health AI is only as strong as the multistakeholder governance infrastructure supporting it. HALO is building that infrastructure for the health sector – connecting academia, hospitals, government, and innovators in the capital of the country where that work belongs.”
HALO reflects the growing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in ensuring that advances in artificial intelligence are developed in ways that promote innovation while safeguarding public interests, patient rights, and accountability.