Navigating the global politics of artificial intelligence and healthcare

Tucker, Jason | 2026

The British Academy and The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Policymakers face unprecedented challenges in navigating the global politics of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare. While AI offers transformative potential, it can exacerbate health inequities and contribute to negative health outcomes along its opaque, transnational value chain. This paper provides an overview of the most pressing global political concerns related to AI and healthcare that warrant policymakers’ attention. These are:

  1. Defining artificial intelligence,
  2. The scales of global political discourse on AI and healthcare,
  3. AI and the global political economy of healthcare,
  4. The emerging global governance landscape,
  5. Security and conflict,
  6. Global political risks and limitations of AI (mis)use,
  7. The global politics of health data in the age of AI, and
  8. The environmental impacts of AI.

By doing so the paper offers a currently under-represented global political perspective on the responsible adoption of AI in healthcare, to support policy makers the responsible adoption of AI in healthcare.

Read the policy paper here >

The British Academy and The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Policymakers face unprecedented challenges in navigating the global politics of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare. While AI offers transformative potential, it can exacerbate health inequities and contribute to negative health outcomes along its opaque, transnational value chain. This paper provides an overview of the most pressing global political concerns related to AI and healthcare that warrant policymakers’ attention. These are:

  1. Defining artificial intelligence,
  2. The scales of global political discourse on AI and healthcare,
  3. AI and the global political economy of healthcare,
  4. The emerging global governance landscape,
  5. Security and conflict,
  6. Global political risks and limitations of AI (mis)use,
  7. The global politics of health data in the age of AI, and
  8. The environmental impacts of AI.

By doing so the paper offers a currently under-represented global political perspective on the responsible adoption of AI in healthcare, to support policy makers the responsible adoption of AI in healthcare.

Read the policy paper here >