(US and Canada) The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has appointed Jeremy Walsh as its new Head of Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Walsh comes with over a decade of experience as a Chief Technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he led the design, development, and delivery of cutting-edge AI and cloud solutions for the healthcare sector, serving as an executive, solutions architect, innovator, and project manager.

He also served as Chief Technologist at MITRE, a non-profit organization that provides technical guidance to the U.S. Government.

Walsh has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Maryland. 

While Walsh is FDA’s first-ever AI head, the department has undertaken various AI initiatives in the last few years. For instance, last year, it was reported that the FDA was exploring the application of generative AI to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and reliability of extracting pertinent information from drug labeling documents.

Similarly, through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the FDA established an AI lab dedicated to evaluating and advancing promising emerging technologies in healthcare.

Earlier this year, the FDA also released draft guidance offering recommendations for the use of AI in supporting regulatory decisions related to the safety, effectiveness, or quality of drugs and biological products.

This marked the agency’s first guidance specifically addressing the application of AI in the development of drugs and biologics.