Abstract
From Editor's Desk ...

Artificial Intelligence in Health: Innovation with Responsibility

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming health care, with applications in disease detection, medical imaging, clinical decision support, scientific research, and drug development. Generative AI has expanded these possibilities by enabling systems to interpret and generate complex health-related information. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises the potential of these technologies across health care, public health, research, and drug development.¹ However, the rapid adoption of AI also presents important challenges. AI systems may generate inaccurate information, reproduce biases within their training data, and perform differently across patient populations. Privacy, transparency, accountability, and equitable access must remain central to implementation. WHO emphasises that ethics and human rights should guide the development and use of AI in health.²
AI should consequently be viewed as a tool that supports rather than replaces health professionals. Clinical judgment, professional responsibility, and the relationship between health professionals and patients remain essential. Similarly, researchers using AI must maintain responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their scientific work. For Saudi Arabia, the continuing digital transformation of health care provides an important opportunity to advance AI-related research and innovation. Local research is particularly important to evaluate the performance, clinical validity, ethical implications, and effectiveness of AI technologies within our own health-care settings and populations.
The Majmaah Journal of Health Sciences (MJHS) encourages rigorous research and scholarly discussion examining both the opportunities and limitations of AI in health. The future should not be viewed simply as AI replacing conventional approaches, but rather as an opportunity to combine technological capabilities with human expertise. When supported by scientific evidence, ethical principles, and appropriate oversight, AI can contribute meaningfully to better health care while keeping patient welfare at the centre of innovation.

Professor. Mohammed A. Alaidarous
Editor-in-Chief
Majmaah Journal of Health Sciences

References:
1.
World Health Organisation. Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health: guidance on large multi-modal models. Geneva: WHO; 2024.
2.
World Health Organisation. Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health: WHO guidance. Geneva: WHO; 2021.