Launched in January 2025, the AHEAD project (AI for Health: Evaluation of Applications & Datasets) brings together an international, transdisciplinary consortium of experts in AI, biomedicine, ethics, law, sociology, psychology, and gender studies. Its goal is to develop a robust evaluation framework for AI systems in healthcare, with a focus on two critical use cases: AI-driven tools in medical imaging and Large Language Models (LLMs) applied in healthcare.
PROJECT PRESENTATION
The proliferation of Artificial Intelligence is on the rise, and yet, there remains a lack of consensus on standardised approaches for responsible implementation. In Europe, there is a strong push to regulate AI, particularly in high-impact societal applications such as biomedicine and healthcare. The objective of AHEAD is to create a transdisciplinary, diverse and global community drawing on the expertise of professionals in biomedicine, ethics, AI development, software engineering, sociology, psychology, law, gender studies, and relevant stakeholders, dedicated to the ongoing effort of tackling challenges and setting important standards in an ever-changing landscape. Together, the community will gather, consolidate, and put into practice established principles and guidelines, building a methodology and a platform to evaluate AI-based systems for biomedical and healthcare applications to ensure compliance with legal, ethical, technical, scientific, and regulatory standards. The project will extend the functionalities of OpenEBench, ELIXIR’s benchmarking platform for bioinformatics tools, to provide a platform for these assessments.
AHEAD will encourage responsible AI innovation through constant collaboration and knowledge exchanges, to continuously meet the demands of the fast-changing AI landscape and ensure that quality healthcare for all people is never compromised and only enhanced.
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AHEAD OBSERVATORY - WP1 (lead by UNITN)
One of the key objectives of the AHEAD project is to establish an Observatory that collects, curates, and systematizes existing guidelines, best practices, and foundational principles for the assessment of AI in biomedicine and healthcare, drawing from multiple disciplines.
The work of the AHEAD Observatory is structured around three key domains: the technological evolution of AI applications, the legislative and regulatory framework, and the ongoing bioethical debate. Together, these domains offer a multi-perspective lens on AI systems, supporting their development and use for the public good in the biomedical and healthcare sectors.
The Observatory aggregates materials contributed by experts within the AHEAD community, while also welcoming input from experts, professionals, and communities working in these areas. It aims to foster a collaborative, community-driven approach to monitoring and shaping responsible AI innovation.
Ultimately, the Observatory seeks to serve as a platform for expert insights, knowledge exchange, and critical reflection on the current state and future trajectories of AI in biomedicine and healthcare.
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FUNDING
AHEAD is an MSCA Staff Exchange project, funded by the EU. MSCA Staff Exchanges promote innovative international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary collaboration in research and innovation.
The research leading to these results has received funding from the Horizon Europe Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101183031. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
