St Vincent's Launches National AI Clinical Council to Guide Safe Use of Artificial Intelligence

Published 2026-10-30

St Vincent's, a major healthcare provider in Australia, has set up a new council to guide the safe and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. The organisation announced the creation of the national AI Clinical Council, which will give advice on how AI tools are used in its hospitals and clinics.

Artificial intelligence is becoming more common in healthcare. Hospitals are looking at AI systems to help with tasks such as reading medical images, managing patient information and supporting doctors in making decisions. However, these tools also raise important questions about patient safety, privacy and fairness. The new council is designed to address these concerns before AI is used more widely.

The National AI Clinical Council will advise St Vincent's on the safe and responsible use of AI across the organisation. Its role is to make sure that new technology is checked carefully and that it supports, rather than replaces, the work of clinical staff. The council is expected to bring together expertise from different areas of healthcare to review how AI is introduced and monitored.

The launch shows a growing interest in AI governance across the Australian health sector. As more hospitals adopt new digital tools, experts say that clear rules and oversight will be needed to protect patients and build public trust. St Vincent's has not yet shared a full timetable for the council's first decisions, but the organisation says it will continue to work with clinicians and experts to make sure that AI is used safely.

Sources: Healthcare Today

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