Conversation ranges from aspiration to accountability at the RCR Global AI Conference
Submitted by Dr Amrita Kumar, radiology and AI clinical lead at Medica Group.
I attended the second annual RCR Global AI Conference at the QEII Centre in London in June and it couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment for clinical AI. The conversation has shifted decisively, from what AI can do, to how we govern it once it is running. Under the theme Human + Machine: Clinician-Led AI for Tomorrow’s Healthcare, two days of rich debate coalesced around a few clear messages.
First, regulation is evolving faster than many departments realise. With the EU AI Act now classifying most medical AI as high risk and new NHS value-based procurement guidance published weeks before the conference, the question for radiology leaders is no longer whether to engage with governance,
it is whether we are moving quickly enough.
Liability emerged as a particularly pressing concern. Current UK product liability law leaves a meaningful gap when AI tools fail, with claims defaulting to clinical negligence rather than manufacturers. Speakers from the Medical Protection Society and AGFA HealthCare argued persuasively that this imbalance needs legislative attention, and reviews by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Law Commission are now underway.
For me, though, the most resonant thread was the human one. Qualitative research presented at the conference captured clinicians’ genuine discomfort when AI flattens nuanced decisions, a reminder that adoption depends as much on trust and transparency as on technical performance.
For radiologists navigating this landscape, the conference sent a clear message: the governance work starts now, not when regulators compel it. It is a message that validates the approach we are taking at Medica: every AI tool we deploy is thoroughly tested and clinically led and governed from day one.
Picture: Dr Alison Tweed, Dr Mira Jacobs, Dr Amrita Kumar, Dr Sameer Gangoli and Ian Baines.
Read this report on page 6 of the August 2026 issue of RAD Magazine.
