The Joint Commission and CHAI Partner to Advance Responsible Health AI

On June 11, The Joint Commission and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), a nonprofit organization founded by clinicians to advance responsible health AI, announced a partnership aiming to accelerate the development and adoption of AI best practices and guidance across the U.S. healthcare system.

The announcement stated, “Together, the organizations will use their scale and expertise to co-develop a suite of AI playbooks, tools, and a new certification program rooted in The Joint Commission’s platform for evidence-based standards, and CHAI’s consensus-based best practices for health AI.”

Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO of The Joint Commission was quoted in the announcement saying that “In the decade ahead, nothing has the capacity to change healthcare more than AI in terms of innovation, transformation and disruption. While it’s impossible to predict exactly what healthcare will look like over that time, AI’s integration and potential to improve quality patient care is enormous – but only if we do it right. By working with CHAI, we are creating a roadmap and offering guidance for healthcare organizations so they can harness this technology in ways that not only support safety but engender trust among stakeholders.”

Further, the announcement added, “Adoption of AI in healthcare, from patient monitoring to drug approvals, is rapidly increasing. According to 2024 research, 46% of US healthcare organizations are in initial implementation of generative AI, and that number is only expected to grow. While the industry is embracing uses for AI, guidance on implementation is needed for all organizations to protect their staff, patients and operations. To meet this demand, this partnership will be the first to issue AI guidance for over 80 percent of healthcare organizations and programs in the U.S.”

CHAI and The Joint Commission are working together to establish clear standards for how AI should be used in healthcare. CHAI, which was started by clinicians, focuses on making sure health AI is safe and trustworthy by bringing together voices from across the healthcare field. Its network now includes 3,000 members—from academic hospitals and rural health systems to tech companies, startups, government professionals, and patient advocates. Through this collaboration, they aim to guide responsible AI adoption in healthcare settings.

The announcement concluded by explaining that the first guidance will be available in Fall 2025 and that AI certification will follow.