He is considered the father of the “Digital Competence and Artificial Intelligence (AI)” section of the German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL) and is one of the nationally recognized experts in the field of AI in medicine. Now Dr.med. Jakob Adler was available for an exclusive interview as part of the MedLabPortal series NACHGEFRAGT – and explained the effects of the EI AI Act on laboratory medicine.

MedLabPortal: Dr. Adler, what is behind the EU AI Act?

Dr. Adler: The EU AI Act is the world’s first law to regulate artificial intelligence technologies. The aim was not to regulate a specific technology such as “neural networks”, but to choose a risk-based approach, regardless of the technology behind an AI product. The EU AI Act distinguishes between prohibited AI practices, such as social scoring systems, high-risk AI (e.g. medical devices) and AI products with limited (e.g. simple chat bots) and minimal risk (e.g. spam filters). Depending on the risk class and whether you act as a provider or operator of an AI system, there are various requirements that must be met in order to achieve compliance with the EU AI Act. The main objective is to protect the fundamental rights of people in the EU.

MedLabPortal: And that also applies to Germany’s medical profession?

Dr. Adler: Exactly, as an EU regulation, the EU AI Act, also known as the AI Regulation (KI Regulation), directly affects the jurisdiction of the member states. Legally, the EU AI Act has been in force since 01.08.2024, but there are various deadlines from when certain parts of the regulation will be applied. Since almost all AI systems in the medical field are likely to be counted among the high-risk AIs, the EU AI Act also affects everyone who uses AI products in the medical field.

MedLabPortal: Laboratory medicine is very technically affine anyway. However, AI is a complex and new terrain. How do you help your colleagues in the DGKL?

Dr. Adler: We already founded the Digital Competence Working Group within the Young Lab in 2021. In the meantime, we have been able to establish the working group as its own section “Digital Competence and AI”. Within the section, we are currently working on four different topics: the Foundation Models, with a focus on language models, classical machine learning and deep learning, clinical decision support systems, and Data & AI Literacy, which we consider necessary in order to acquire basic data and AI competence. To this end, we have also published an opinion paper on what content we think is needed to fulfill the AI competence according to Article 4 of the EU AI Act. AI can only be understood and meaningfully classified if you have fundamentally dealt with data processing and the basics of the algorithms behind an AI system.

MedLabPortal: School and courses are certainly exciting – but isn’t there a lack of time in everyday life to prepare properly for the EU AI Act?

Dr. Adler: That is indeed a problem. Ultimately, however, you have to ask yourself urgently: Which AI systems are already in use, and is the appropriate training sufficient? For us, basic data competence is the basis on which the triad of content of the EU AI Act, basic knowledge of AI algorithms and application-specific training on the specific tools used can flourish.

MedLabPortal: In your opinion, what could the EU have simplified, at least with regard to laboratory medicine?

Dr. Adler: That’s a difficult question to answer. As the EU, you have the problem that in the case of the EU AI Act, you enact laws for all areas of life. You have to find a balance between a regulation that actually protects our rights worth protecting, but on the other hand does not hinder innovation – or in the worst case even prevents it. Much more relevant for laboratory medicine is that there is simply not enough knowledge at the moment to apply all this. Many questions remain unanswered, starting with the definition of what AI actually is. If I can’t assess whether my system falls under regulation or not, I can’t take concrete steps towards compliance. We all have to look at where we are investing our time resources. More clarity would help here. Then the laboratories could lead the way and establish compliance.

MedLabPortal: We don’t want to be spiteful, but even the ePA seems to be an insurmountable task for Germany. Will the topic of AI in medicine end like the construction of the A100 in Berlin? Escalating costs, no results….

Dr. Adler: I hope not (laughs). I think we need to think about AI broadly. We doctors are often tempted to only want to use AI in the actual medical field. We want to detect our patients’ illnesses more quickly, we want to better accompany therapy. But at the moment, the greatest unsalvaged treasure for me lies in the modernization of our processes. So we have to think in two ways: Where can we use AI sensibly for better care – medically and procedurally. For me, the most important thing is that we approach the challenges as openly as possible. In addition, we should not be afraid to deal with the possibilities of AI, to test, to build prototypes – and if there is a benefit, to implement them as products. Fortunately, there is also the possibility to use your own developments without ending up in the high-risk area. So we have to start. My goal is to start this process in the next few months and to support it so that it doesn’t end up like the A100.

MedLabPortal: Our last question: You yourself are considered one of the few nationally recognized experts in the field of AI in laboratory medicine. Where do you see the discipline in terms of AI in 10 years?

Dr. Adler: I don’t know if you can still call anyone an expert at today’s speed of development in the AI field (laughs). That’s why I’m always careful with predictions. With the EU AI Act in mind, I think that the discipline will develop more and more towards “data science”, in which we as laboratory doctors will be the “human in the loop”. Diagnostic areas that still work separately today will move closer together, and the evaluation of the ever-increasing amounts of data will change our view of diseases. We also have it in our hands in a political sense: do we want to make a “data-driven” medicine? Then we should further strengthen the diagnostic subjects. They are the foundation of our health care system.

MedLabPortal: Thank you for your time.

The questions were asked by MedLabPortal editors Vlad Georgescu and Marita Vollborn

Read Also:

DGKL expert Dr. med. Jakob Adler with a strong AI focus at DKLM 2025 – MedLabPortal

Laboratory medicine: Jakob Adler on ePA and MIO laboratory findings – MedLabPortal

DGKL strengthens digital competencies: New section for AI and digitalization founded – MedLabPortal

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.