On 29th May 2025, BAPIO officially launched its new TRAI Forum — a dynamic space dedicated to exploring how Technology, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can transform healthcare. The inaugural meeting brought together experts, clinicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders for a wide-ranging discussion on both the promise and challenges of AI in medicine.
The forum was opened by Dr. Ramesh Mehta, BAPIO President, who highlighted the importance of BAPIO members staying up to date with the latest technological developments in healthcare. He handed over to the forum Chair, Prof Prokar Dasgupta (Prof Prokar Dasgupta OBE, Professor of Surgery, Chair in Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation at Kings College London) who provided an overview the objectives of the forum and introduced the special guest speaker for the session – Prof Gopal Ramcharan (CEO of Responsible AI UK). Both Prof Dasgupta and Prof Ramcharan stressed the need to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically, with particular attention to diversity and fairness in data. They highlighted the importance of avoiding biases, referencing issues like pulse oximeters that had given inaccurate readings for people with darker skin tones during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof Dasgupta encouraged the forum to adopt a collaborative, startup-style approach, welcoming innovation and open dialogue. Prof Ramcharan shared insights from the £35 million Responsible AI UK programme, which supports cutting-edge AI research in areas such as cancer, mental health, and personalised medicine. He also challenged members to think about how we can build trust in AI and help this technology truly serve patients.
Other speakers during the session included Mr. Pankaj Chandak (Co-Chair of the TRAI Forum and RCSEng Hunterian Professor and Paediatric Transplant and Research Fellow, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital), who spoke about how AI is already transforming surgical planning and organ transplantation. He demonstrated how AI and machine learning can help predict outcomes, enhance imaging analysis, and even assist with organ bioengineering and regeneration — exciting possibilities that could significantly improve patient care in the future. Following this, there was an interactive Q&A session where attendees reflected on the topics covered and also reflected on some of the challenges that still need to be addressed — such as building a skilled workforce, developing supportive systems, and making it easier to bring research innovations into clinical practice. Notably, Dr Rajesh Sivaprakasam (Co-Chair of the TRAI Forum and Consultant Surgeon, Lead for Robotics Renal Failure Surgery, Co-Chair, Multi-Specialty Robotic Research Group at Barts Health NHS Trust) emphasised the importance of involving young healthcare professionals to help create AI solutions that truly meet the needs of both patients and clinicians.
At the end of the session, it was agreed that the forum would establish a WhatsApp group where members could support ongoing collaboration and contribute ideas for the forum’s future direction. It was also agreed that the forum will be actively involved in the upcoming BAPIO Annual Conference in November 2025, which is on the theme of ‘Facing the Future’
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Prof Prokar Dasgupta
Prof. Gopal Ramchurn
Pankaj Chandak