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The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has released a new technical brief for the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in traditional medicine, acknowledging India’s efforts in integrating AI with traditional medicine systems, particularly Ayush systems, as it follows the country’s proposal on the subject.

The technical brief, launched at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva (July 8–11), outlines a roadmap for harnessing AI’s potential while preserving cultural heritage and ensuring data sovereignty.

Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is practiced in 170 countries and used by billions of people. Driven by rising interest in holistic approaches focusing on prevention, health promotion, and rehabilitation, the global TCIM market is projected to reach nearly US$600 billion by 2025. AI has the potential to accelerate this growth by making care more personalized, effective, and accessible, the report said.

The brief highlights the importance of inclusive, high-quality data and participatory design to ensure AI systems reflect the diversity of traditional medicine practices. It points to the role of AI in strengthening research through platforms like India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library and the Virtual Health Library in the Americas, which preserve indigenous knowledge, foster collaboration, and prevent biopiracy.

Real-world applications include AI-powered diagnostics in Ayurgenomics, machine learning models for identifying medicinal plants in Ghana and South Africa, and AI analysis of traditional compounds for treating blood disorders in the Republic of Korea.

A central message of the brief is the urgent need to uphold Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) and ensure AI development follows free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) principles. Examples from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia demonstrate how community-led data governance can protect indigenous rights.

The WHO urges stakeholders to invest in inclusive AI ecosystems, develop national AI policies for traditional medicine, enhance digital literacy among practitioners, and establish global standards for data and ethical AI. Safeguarding traditional knowledge through digital repositories and benefit-sharing models is also emphasized.

The Ministry of Ayush has hailed this recognition as a testament to India’s leadership in creating a robust scientific ecosystem for traditional medicine emphasising the country's commitment to fostering global collaboration and responsible innovation, as envisioned under WHO’s broader framework for AI and traditional medicine.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, noted that India’s AI-led initiatives, mentioned in WHO’s technical brief, reflected the deep commitment of Indian scientists to advancing traditional medicine through cutting-edge technology and aligned with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to harness emerging technologies like AI to expand the global relevance of Traditional Medicine. `

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, said the WHO document highlighted several pioneering AI-driven innovations led by India—ranging from predictive diagnostics using Prakriti-based machine learning models to the Ayurgenomics project that brings together Ayurveda knowledge and modern genomics.

The document showcases a range of AI-driven applications in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Sowa Rigpa, and Homoeopathy, including diagnosis support systems that integrate traditional methods like pulse reading, tongue examination, and Prakriti assessment with machine learning algorithms and deep neural networks.

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