Health got a mention in today’s State of the Union speech, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spelt out priorities and flagship initiatives for the year to come.

She used health as an example where artificial intelligence can be used for good and make a difference in the European Union but should never replace doctors.

“Do I want my doctor to have instant AI access to all the data needed to make the best diagnostic or treatment choice? Yes, of course. But do I want my doctor to be a robot, AI-assisted? No, of course not. I do not want a robot to tell me whether I have cancer or not,” von der Leyen said during the annual State of the European Union speech in the European Parliament.

However, thanks to AI tools that can manage huge amounts of data, it is advancing healthcare and the EU’s chief wants Europe to benefit from that.

Von der Leyen, herself a former doctor, cited health as an example of advances that can benefit people, adding that it should be done in a “European way”.

“AI-supported mammography can identify earlier and more cancers during screening. And as a result, more women can survive. So we need AI for health,” she said.

Early detection is essential in tackling cancer, and several studies and clinical trials suggest AI can help spot the disease sooner than previous methods allow.

Cancer screening is not the only area where AI is being deployed in healthcare. The technology is transforming the sector, driving advances in diagnostics, drug development, and easing the workload of healthcare professionals.