Morning, Tuesday, 14th July 2026
Online
This conference will explore next steps for use of artificial intelligence in life sciences in the UK. It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider the way forward as the UK moves from development of policy frameworks and national strategies towards implementation.
Areas for discussion include priorities for infrastructure, data access, and adoption programmes, alongside considerations for piloting and scaling up.
The agenda will look at strategic and practical approaches to effective, responsible integration across research, clinical care, and commercial life sciences, including scope and governance, alongside priorities for ensuring patient safety, supporting public trust, and improving regulatory predictability.
The discussion takes place in the context of aims to drive health innovation and enhance national competitiveness in the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan and AI Opportunities Action Plan, and UKRI’s AI Research and Innovation Strategic Framework.
With the establishment of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, chaired by Professor Alastair Denniston, we expect early assessment of its forthcoming recommendations to inform discussion across the agenda.
Further sessions will consider questions around the development and planned delivery of the Health Data Research Service and its role in enabling AI-ready health data, and regulatory readiness for AI as a medical device and AI-enabled drug discovery, including priorities for scaling AI beyond pilots in the NHS. Skills and commercial frameworks required to support growth in technology-driven life sciences companies in the UK - the TechBio sector - will also be considered.
Access to data, responsible use & risk mitigation
Sessions will examine approaches to improving data consistency, quality and interoperability, and ensuring datasets are suitable for AI research and development. Attendees will consider access models, timelines and cost considerations for SMEs, academic teams and other research partners.
Discussion will also examine issues related to the reliability of AI systems and approaches to managing risks, in areas such as data integrity, system performance and potential bias. Emerging standards for synthetic data and retrieval-augmented generation systems will be assessed, alongside approaches to validating adaptive and continuously learning AI models.
Attendees will consider priorities for the design and implementation of AI assurance mechanisms that can effectively support more reliable outcomes, with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s AI Assurance Innovation Fund launched in April with the aim of providing support for their development.
Regulation, governance, equity in deployment & workforce development
The agenda will examine options for clarifying regulatory frameworks and improving predictability to support adoption for research and drug discovery, including implications of the National Commission’s forthcoming recommendations on regulation of AI in healthcare.
The agenda includes insights from the MHRA’s AI Airlock sandbox, which will inform discussion - assessing where further sector-specific guidance could be needed, including priorities for improving reliability of ambient scribes, medical devices, pharmacovigilance, and clinical governance.
Potential minimum standards for clinical deployment will be considered and how liability should be allocated when AI is used in clinical or operational contexts. Alongside this, delegates will look at requirements for ongoing monitoring and feedback in real-world settings, including alignment with existing surveillance systems and consideration of bias, equity, and transparency in deployment.
Workforce development needs will also be addressed, including gaps in data engineering, regulatory science, and clinician-AI leadership, exploring potential interventions and aims to foster long-term capability and adoption - such as training pilots, fellowships, placements, and blended upskilling programmes - as well as practical guidance for the safe deployment of AI in real-world NHS settings.
Adoption, commercial use & regulatory engagement with stakeholders
The agenda explores key issues for AI adoption in NHS and commercial settings, including priorities for the scaling up of technologies from trials to broader deployment.
Areas for discussion include digital integration, procurement approaches, and evidence standards that support evaluation, investment, and wider access. Consideration will also be given to approaches for reducing reliance on bespoke IT solutions and supporting more consistent pathways to adoption, including options for streamlining NHS processes and addressing uncertainty over compliance requirements.
Further sessions will consider priorities for collaboration between regulators, industry, and research organisations, alongside international pathways and partnerships, including the Regulatory Innovation Corridor. Discussion will assess entry points, eligibility and commercial prioritisation, as well as approaches to supporting clearer routes to adoption, improved regulatory coordination, and alignment of investment priorities in line with UKRI’s AI strategic framework.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
