Experts from the fields of research, clinical practice, and government agencies gathered at the USZ to discuss the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence for clinical research.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming clinical research. At the 2026 SCTO Symposium “AI Meets Clinical Research – Navigating regulatory, ethical, and legal frontiers,” over 200 researchers, clinicians, government officials, and experts gathered at the USZ to discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI—ranging from ethical and regulatory requirements to study design and data protection.
Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI
The Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation (SCTO) is a network formed by the clinical research centers of five Swiss university hospitals and two cantonal hospitals. The SCTO provides a comprehensive infrastructure for clinical research with a focus on patient-centered research. The USZ Clinical Trials Center hosted the event, which provided valuable insights into the responsible use of AI and the future direction of clinical research in Switzerland. It became clear that AI offers great potential for clinical research, but requires a clear ethical and legal framework.
At the same time, just a few hundred meters away at ETH Zurich, international experts from research, industry, and healthcare gathered for the NEXUS Personalized Health Conference 2026 to discuss the latest advances in clinical bioinformatics, AI-supported decision-making, and biomedical statistics.
Participants from both events took full advantage of the joint conference dinner and the opportunity to attend selected presentations at the sister event, underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary exchange among various professional communities.