Subsidy of millions granted to ELSA Lab AI for Health Equity

The Dutch Research Council has granted 2.3 million euros to a new research initiative on artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The subsidy is to the ELSA Lab AI for Health Equity, a national consortium which researches how AI can be developed fairly and inclusively, with special attention for underrepresented groups in healthcare. Within the ELSA Lab, psychologist Hans Marien from Utrecht University plays a central role as coordinator of the Open Living Lab AI for Health Equity.

ai in de gezondheidszorg

AI can improve healthcare, but there is also the risk that pre-existing inequalities become bigger. For instance, AI systems which were trained with limited data sets could perform less well for diverse demographics. The ELSA Lab charts these problems and develops solutions for an inclusive digital health infrastructure. Existing regulations are observed in this, such as the GDPR, and guidelines are drafted to make AI more fair. Transparency in AI development is an important part in this. Databases have to be representative, and AI technologies have to be accessible and understandable for care providers and patients.

Working on AI solutions

Within the ELSA Lab, Marien coordinates the Open Living Lab AI for Health Equity. In this Living Lab, the researchers collaborate with patient groups, interest groups and developers on AI solutions for healthcare which are not only legally and ethically responsible, but also practically applicable and socially equitable.

Hans Marien
Hans Marien

Functional illiteracy

Marien investigates how artificial intelligence can be used in an ethically responsible and inclusive way in healthcare, with special attention for functional illiteracy and language-development disorders. He is also the founder of the ELSA Lab AI Approach to Low-Literacy, in which AI technology is developed which links up with the needs of people who have difficulties with complicated texts or digital communication.

1.2 million euros

Naturally, the Utrecht-based researcher is happy with the grant. “UvA may be the coordinating university of the ELSA Lab, but within this construction and from Utrecht University, I lead the Open Living Lab which is to receive a work package of 1.2 million euros. With it, we can now for instance together with company ITSLanguage develop an automated sound-analysis tool to diagnose language-development disorders in children. At the same time within the Goallab, we can test a multi-language AI tool for the detection of functional illiteracy on the parents of these children.”