Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Friday September 5

Venue: WDR 1007

Speaker: Dr. Yi Zhang, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University

This event is co-hosted by the Center for the Study of Contemporary China and the Digital Innovation Research Center.

Abstract:

The recent large-scale deployment of the advanced large language model (LLM) DeepSeek across hundreds of Chinese hospitals marks a pivotal moment in the integration of AI into medicine. This rapid adoption, driven by DeepSeek’s open-source nature and powerful reasoning capabilities, promises to enhance diagnostic processes, streamline hospital management, and boost overall efficiency.

However, this rapid adoption has created a critical regulatory “gray area”. The capabilities of LLMs like DeepSeek have significantly outpaced the development of a corresponding regulatory framework to manage risks associated with patient safety, clinical efficacy, and data security.

This presentation will analyze the regulatory and safety challenges arising from DeepSeek’s widespread deployment. By examining the specific case of DeepSeek in China, this presentation will underscore the pressing need for a proactive and adaptive regulatory response. It will conclude by advocating for the development of robust governance structures that can ensure patient safety and build trust, thereby harnessing the transformative potential of AI in medicine without compromising ethical and safety standards.

Speaker’s Bio:

Yi Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Health Law at the Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University. She received her PhD in international law (cum laude 2018) from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Before joining Vanke, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Law School, Tsinghua University.

Dr. Zhang specializes in global health law and governance, and regulatory science. Her research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Medicine, Innovation, Journal of Hematology & Oncology, Frontiers of Medicine, and Netherlands Yearbook of International Law.

Her expertise has been instrumental in contributing to major national legal reforms, including China’s Vaccine Administration Law and the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. Currently, Dr. Zhang serves as legal advisor and the Chinese delegate to the WHO negotiations on the International Health Regulations (2005) and the Pandemic Agreement.