Written by 
PETALING JAYA: The health ministry is open to using the latest technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to detect diseases such as cancer provided that such tech is proven to be safe, effective and cost-effective.
Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad acknowledged that AI had massive potential to improve healthcare services, particularly in diagnosing and early detection of diseases like cancer.
“However, these benefits and potential must be closely evaluated to ensure AI really yields positive and safe effects,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
Dzulkefly added that the health ministry’s health technology assessment section (Mahtas) had carried out evaluations of several AI-related technologies for cancer scanning.
He said a pilot project for AI tech to detect lung cancer was under way at the National Cancer Institute as well as Cyberjaya, Kajang and Putrajaya hospitals.
However, he said more research was needed for the use of AI tech in mammograms and cervical cancer screening.
He was replying to a question from Wong Chen (PH-Subang) on whether the health ministry was considering the use of Ai in public hospitals.