Only a few years have passed since the widespread emergence of artificial intelligence, yet the pace of its development is astonishing. There is probably no field it has not touched, and perhaps no one can truly imagine where it will be in another ten years. Naturally, it has also entered healthcare. We spoke about its applications with Tom Philipp, Member of Parliament for the KDU-ČSL party, Head of one of the clinics at Thomayer University Hospital, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the General Health Insurance Company.
In which area of healthcare does it provide the greatest benefit?
Without question, in diagnostics – specifically wherever physicians work with medical imaging. A typical example is screening mammography. Artificial intelligence can review an image within minutes, identify suspicious areas, and alert the radiologist to regions that deserve closer attention. Personally, I would no longer send my wife for a mammogram without AI support. It is similarly valuable in screening colonoscopy and ophthalmology. Then there are chest X-rays, which are performed in large numbers in the Czech Republic. Physicians are often looking for a specific issue – a fractured rib, pneumonia, or the consequences of an injury. AI, however, can act as a safety net and draw attention to a subtle finding, such as early-stage lung cancer. That is where its greatest value lies. It does not replace the physician or make decisions on their behalf, but helps ensure that important details are not overlooked. It is another pair of eyes that never gets tired, works quickly, and can help detect disease at an early stage, when treatment is simpler, more effective, and less burdensome for the patient.
What about the development of specific technologies?
The good news is that we are not merely passive recipients of technologies developed abroad. Czech companies are also creating AI-based healthcare technologies, testing them in practice, and seeking not only to implement them in Czech hospitals but also to succeed in international markets. I find that very encouraging. It shows that the Czech Republic is not merely trying to catch up with the rest of the world in medical AI – in certain areas, we are keeping pace with it. We have highly capable physicians, data specialists, and technology companies.
What risks are associated with the use of AI in healthcare?
On the one hand, artificial intelligence promises a major improvement in the quality and accessibility of healthcare. On the other hand, attention must be paid to several key risks – protection of personal data, excessive trust in technology, and the potential weakening of healthcare professionals’ practical skills. Medical records contain highly sensitive information, so it is essential to define clearly who should have access to such information and for what purpose it may be used. Working with anonymized data and ensuring strict protection of patient privacy should be standard practice. We should also be cautious about placing too much trust in artificial intelligence. Healthcare professionals may overlook circumstances that an algorithm cannot capture, while patients using online AI consultations may gain a false sense of certainty and delay seeking medical attention. For junior physicians, excessive reliance on AI could slow the development of their own clinical judgment and decision-making abilities. Similar discussions are taking place today in fields such as law.
With his wife Štěpánka.
So you see the greatest problem in the potential overuse of artificial intelligence?
Exactly. The greatest risk of artificial intelligence in healthcare is not the technology itself, but its uncritical and thoughtless use. The future of medicine will probably not be about whether AI replaces physicians, but about how physicians use it for the benefit of patients. The best care will be provided by those who combine the advantages of modern technology with experience, ethical judgment, and the ability to understand people – qualities that no algorithm can yet replace.
Can AI offer a solution to the shortage of physicians?
At a time of an aging population, this is a very relevant question. Artificial intelligence can significantly reduce physicians’ workload by handling routine or administrative tasks, preparing medical documentation, evaluating examination results, triaging patients according to urgency, or supporting diagnostic decision-making. This allows physicians to devote more time to patients, communication, and more complex clinical decisions. AI can therefore increase the productivity of the healthcare system and partially mitigate the impact of staff shortages, but it cannot solve the problem on its own. As mentioned earlier, AI can be a very useful assistant, but not a substitute for a physician.
How valuable is AI in science and research?
In this field, it is becoming a significant tool. Its greatest advantage is the ability to process and analyze enormous amounts of data within minutes or hours, whereas the same work would take a human months or even years. It is also highly beneficial for researchers themselves. Millions of scientific papers are published every year, and no one can read them all. AI tools can rapidly review scientific literature, summarize new findings, and identify interesting connections that might otherwise escape human attention. Artificial intelligence has become particularly important in the development of new medicines. It can identify promising molecules for new drugs, predict their effectiveness and possible side effects, and optimize their chemical structure. In genomics and personalized medicine, it helps analyze the genetic information of millions of patients and uncover links between genetic makeup, disease development, and treatment response. It is important to remember that AI itself does not make scientific discoveries. Rather, it generates hypotheses, identifies patterns in data, and accelerates research. Final verification must always be carried out through standard scientific methods and clinical studies.
Czech AI projects in healthcare
Carebot (radiology): An AI tool that assists in the evaluation of lung, bone, mammography, and CT images.
Aireen (ophthalmology): Helps detect retinal changes in diabetic patients; thanks to European certification as a medical device, it can also be used in other European countries.
MAIA Labs (colonoscopy): The ColoMaia system monitors endoscopic images during examinations and alerts physicians to suspicious findings.
Kardi Ai (cardiology): Helps monitor heart rhythm over the long term; it is already being used in several European countries, including Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Datlowe: Develops the HAIDI system, which helps hospitals work with data and provides early warnings of risks such as hospital-acquired infections, dangerous drug interactions, and similar issues.
CV BOX
Tom Philipp (born December 26, 1968, in Prague) is the Head of the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Clinic of the Third Faculty of Medicine at the Charles University and the Thomayer University Hospital, MP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Health Insurance Company (VZP), member of the Prague 12 Municipal Assembly, and former Vice-Chair of the KDU-ČSL.
Following his graduation from the Second Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in 1993, he started working as a physician at the rheumatology ward in the Thomayer Hospital, later serving as Deputy Director (2005–2014). In 2014, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health, a position he held for four years. From late November 2018, he worked at Agel, a.s., as the First Vice-Chairman of the board and Director of the Jeseník Hospital. He never fully severed ties with Thomayer Hospital and eventually returned there full-time.
He has been a KDU-ČSL member since 2002 and an MP since 2021. After eight years of serving as a member of the VZP Board of Directors, he became its Chairman in February 2022.
Philipp lives in Prague. He is married and has five children. He enjoys hiking, cycling, cynology, and fishing. Politics remains his primary hobby, however.
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