B.C.’s privacy watchdog weighs in on health AI boom – as doctors warn it’s not a substitute – CTV
June 12, 2025
As a growing number of doctors adopt artificial intelligence tools in their offices and hospitals, British Columbia’s privacy commissioner is urging them to do their homework on privacy requirements.
CTV News sat with Michael Harvey, B.C.’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, for an in-depth discussion around AI and found the area isn’t just nuanced, it’s being developed and assessed as the technology evolves.
“There is no question that our laws need to be reformed to adapt to the changing technological circumstances,” he stated. “That said, it’s not like there’s no laws that apply to AI in the health sector or other sectors.”
Notifying patients they’re using the technology is the minimum, Harvey said, but health-care practitioners should go further if they’re using scribes or other software in their practice.
“Even in situations where it might not be strictly legally necessary to do more than notify, I think it’s a good advice for clinicians to really take that extra step and have a bit of a conversation,” said Harvey. “Because we’re talking about new types of applications here, organizations would be well advised to hold themselves to a higher bar of express consent.”
