The realm of health care is on the cusp of a significant technological leap, courtesy of the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) language models, but ensuring the ethical design, deployment, and use of these technologies is imperative to truly realize their potential in improving health care delivery and promoting human well-being and safety. Indeed, these models have demonstrated remarkable prowess in generating humanlike text, evidenced by a growing body of research and real-world applications. This capability paves the way for enhanced patient engagement, clinical decision support, and a plethora of other applications that were once considered beyond reach. However, the journey from potential to real-world application is laden with challenges ranging from ensuring reliability and transparency to navigating a complex regulatory landscape. There is still a need for comprehensive evaluation and rigorous validation to ensure that these models are reliable, transparent, and ethically sound. This editorial introduces the new section, titled "AI Language Models in Health Care." This section seeks to create a platform for academics, practitioners, and innovators to share their insights, research findings, and real-world applications of AI language models in health care. The aim is to foster a community that is not only excited about the possibilities but also critically engaged with the ethical, practical, and regulatory challenges that lie ahead.
Keywords: AI implementation; AI in health care; artificial intelligence; digital health standards; generative AI; health care digitalization.
©Alexandre Castonguay, Christian Lovis. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (https://medinform.jmir.org), 21.12.2023.