1. Introduction
Welcome back to “The Impact of AI Explored.” In this episode, your hosts Gerjon Kunst and James O’Regan sit down with an extraordinary guest: Emilie Lundblad, widely recognized for her leadership in AI and healthcare innovation. Together, we dive into how AI is transforming healthcare, discussing global perspectives from Europe to Asia and what that means for all of us.
You can find the episode here:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/h4FxtHlUBsw
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2317233/episodes/17728002
Or your favorite streaming platform.
2. Meet the Guest
Emilie Lundblad is a Microsoft Regional Director, triple Microsoft MVP in AI, and currently Head of AI at Umbil in Denmark. With over 15 years of experience across medtech, consultancy, and data-driven transformation, Emilie has shaped teams and led initiatives at Ambu, Hempel, Amesto, and GroupM. Known for her impactful keynotes, board membership at the Pioneer Center for AI, and expertise spanning AI regulatory compliance, Emilie also actively collaborates with global research institutions like MIT. Her achievements include high-profile awards (DAIR, Hyperight, Berlingske Talent 100) and pioneering work in multi-agent AI systems for healthcare. Emilie’s perspective bridges technology, ethics, and practical deployment of AI in real life—plus, she’s an advocate for “AI for good,” regularly speaking and writing on the topic.
3. Setting the Stage
Why does this conversation matter today? AI in healthcare isn’t just a buzzword—it’s rapidly shifting how medicine, patient care, and diagnosis function around the globe. As aging populations and doctor shortages create tough challenges, technologies like AI offer solutions. This blog digs into:
- How global differences in regulation and culture shape AI adoption.
- Why prompt engineering and AI literacy are critical skills, not just for developers but for patients too.
- Real and sometimes surprising stories from India, China, and Europe.
4. Episode Highlights
Two key moments from our conversation:
- Global AI in Healthcare: Emilie highlights how China’s “AI hospitals” and India’s billion-dollar investments accelerate diagnosis and treatment at scale, handling thousands of cases daily—solutions driven by necessity and open-minded adoption. “In Danish, we have a saying, a naked woman will learn to spin. That covers India and China’s approach—they’re willing to take risks we aren’t in the EU, but the benefits are enormous.”
- Human in the Loop: Emilie stresses the importance of skilled prompting and keeping humans involved as AI assistants. “If I had to trust AI with my life, it depends… Narrow, well-trained AIs for radiology or mammography? Absolutely. But we’re not ready to remove the doctor from the loop entirely.”
5. Deep Dive
Groundedness in AI: Why It Matters (and the European Perspective)
AI’s potential in healthcare is astounding, but progress is tightly interwoven with regulatory and ethical challenges. Emilie explains that while Asia races ahead (benefiting from flexible data policies and urgent needs), Europe grapples with heavy regulations—GDPR, EU AI Act, MDR—sometimes stalling innovation. The lack of accessible, anonymized patient data is a hurdle for European AI startups and research, hampering our ability to catch up.
Emilie advocates a “human in the loop” model, blending AI’s power with expert oversight. She points out that prompt engineering—the ability to frame the right questions for AI—has become an essential skill, not just for developers but for healthcare users. The episode explores how sandboxes in the UK (like MHRA and NHS programs) balance innovation and safety, and why Europe might benefit from similar experimentation and legislative updates.
6. Real-Life Stories & Examples
- India’s Full-Body AI Reports: Emilie shares an astonishing story—hospital visits in India include full-body scans analyzed by AI, with reports delivered before you even speak to a doctor. “That blew my mind. That’s truly leveraging AI to fill critical gaps in care.”
- AI for Mammograms: Emilie’s MIT professor, Regina Bosley, created AI models to detect breast cancer earlier, especially improving early diagnosis for underrepresented ethnicities. “Narrow-focus AI can see patterns that humans miss. I’d trust my mammograms to AI any day.”
- Regulation vs. Innovation: Europe’s legacy systems, strict privacy laws, and lack of synthetic data slow adoption—yet startups in Norway use totally anonymized datasets to build cutting-edge diagnostic tools, aiming for global impact.
7. Key Takeaways
Here’s what listeners and readers will remember from this episode:
- AI is already revolutionizing healthcare—most visibly in India and China.
- Necessity drives innovation: doctor shortages and patient needs force risk-taking and rapid adoption.
- Europe is at a crossroads: strict regulations offer safety but stall progress. Finding balance is key.
- Prompt engineering and AI literacy matter. Better questions = better healthcare, regardless of region.
- Synthetic and federated data can unlock innovation while maintaining privacy.
- Human oversight in AI healthcare remains essential. A blend of narrow AI and expert review is safest for now.
8. Closing Thoughts
Reflecting on this conversation left us both inspired—and a little impatient for change! The possibilities for AI in healthcare are enormous, but it’s up to us (and our policymakers) to strike the right balance between safety and progress. Europe can learn from global neighbors, experiment with sandboxes, and embrace AI not just with caution, but with purpose.
We invite you, our readers and listeners, to join the conversation. Got suggestions, stories, or bold ideas about AI in healthcare? Let us know! Together, we can help make sure the next chapter in medicine is written with the right blend of technology, humanity, and vision.
Stay tuned for more insights on “The Impact of AI Explored.” Until next time!
