Lutz Mischa Heitmüller

Just wrapped up Rainer Mühlhoff‘s “Künstliche Intelligenz und der neue Faschismus“ during my flight to Riyadh - and I’m convinced more than ever that this is a must-read for anyone designing, regulating, or depending on AI systems. Rainer Mühlhoff is a Professor at the University of Osnabrück (Universität Osnabrück), Germany, holding the chair in Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, one of the first in Germany explicitly dedicated to this interdisciplinary field. In his new book he argues that AI has become a fertile terrain for authoritarian and fascistic tendencies. Mühlhoff does not use “fascism” in the sense of 20th-century historical regimes, but rather as a concept adapted to our present and future: a political form characterized by anti-democratic behavior, readiness to use force, and the deployment of technology as a power instrument. A central theme of the book is how “Tech Ideologies”, especially those originating in Silicon Valley, portray AI as a kind of salvation: an all-powerful tool that can emulate or even surpass human capacities. This narrative is deeply misleading and dangerous, especially when it merges with right-wing political agendas. Mühlhoff also highlights that the myth of neutrality around AI is inflated. People provide enormous amounts of data through everyday digital usage, enabling companies and political actors to amass power. Meanwhile, the promises made around AI - efficiency, miracles, objectivity - often obscure its ideological framing and possible misuse. He warns that AI is already embedded in many everyday systems: surveillance, scoring, administrative decisions, employment decisions, etc. This widespread use makes regulation not just advisable, but urgent. To guard against the misuse of AI, Mühlhoff calls for democratic design of technology not letting tech elites alone define what AI should do. He pushes for legal and political frameworks that ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness In my role as Chief Medical Officer at GE HealthCare, I see firsthand how AI is transforming diagnostics, imaging, workflow, and decision support promising tremendous improvement, but also with serious risks if deployed without careful design. Finetuning models, verifying fairness, enabling explainable decision pathways, and integrating human oversight are more than just best practice, they are responsibilities. This book reinforces that AI governance isn’t something you add after deployment. It must be thought through from the outset: in design, in data, in testing, in regulation, in monitoring. What we build in healthcare has downstream effects that are deeply human. If you’re working in AI (especially in regulated industries like healthcare), this book gives you language and frameworks to challenge claims of “just more efficiency”, ask who is served / who is marginalized by predictive systems and push for ethical guardrails now. #AI #Ethics #Healthcare #digitalhealth

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Germany is introducing a new "capitation like" primary care model, part of the new government’s coalition agreement, that shifts greater responsibility to general practitioners and outpatient providers. I wrote down a few thoughts. 1️⃣ 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥: 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐏𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 "𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞" 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 Historically, Germany’s #primarycare model allowed patients to see specialists directly. Now, GPs will be the (mandatory) gatekeepers, as in many other European countries (e.g., France, Netherlands, UK). Previously, GP reimbursements were capped per quarter, even for complex chronic patients. Under the Health Care Strengthening Act (GVSG), a new capitation-like model will pay a longer-period lump sum per chronic patient for up to four quarters, regardless of visit frequency, rewarding efficient, coordinated care rather than volume of encounters. 2️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 Mandatory gatekeeping for GPs is being introduced in a context of scarce supply, long waiting lists, and many practices already closed to new patients. Adding a compulsory GP-first step risks further straining an overburdened system. 3️⃣ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 To cope with growing demand, software must make patient handovers seamless: efficient at the GP stage, during referrals, and at the specialist level. This requires:  ◾ Automation and AI-assisted tools at every stage ◾ Effective, integrated patient data handling (something a fragmented electronic health record cannot deliver). ETERNO covers both, addressing 15 primary care disciplines on one platform, unifying data and handovers with AI support from GP to specialist. 4️⃣ 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐫: 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐰 (𝐊𝐇𝐙𝐆) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 A few years ago, Germany introduced the “Future Hospital Law,” a €4B fund to help hospitals go digital, including cloud adoption. A similar law is needed for ambulatory care. 5️⃣ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟒 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬... For a solo practice near retirement, sticking with the legacy system (Option 1) may be wisest, as changing EHRs is like open-heart surgery. For investors or chains, building a custom interaction layer (Option 2) could capture the most value, though it’s complex. Practices seeking minimal complexity but a modern tech stack might choose Option 3, while noting the lock-in risk. Finally, those wanting a modular, open stack leveraging the latest tech with plug-and-play customization may find Option 4 best.  ---- Follow HGM Advisory for daily reposts of #HealthTech news. #healthcare #ai

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📢 VOICES OF STARTUP BERLIN 📢 – a conversation with Thorsten Lubinski (Co-Founder) and Catalina Plesmann (Head of Marketing) at DiaMonTech AG – who won the DeepTech Award in 2024! > In simple terms: How does your technology make blood sugar monitoring easier for patients? We developed a small device that lets you measure your blood sugar non-invasively by simply placing your finger on our sensor - no needles, no blood, no pain. People living with diabetes can check their levels more often, more comfortably, and without disposable supplies.    > What’s the biggest challenge in developing non-invasive medical tech – and how did you overcome it? The hardest part is precision. Glucose is present in very small amounts and hard to isolate without breaking the skin. We solved this by usiung a quantum cascade laser that targets glucose molecules specifically. After years of development and a successful clinical study, we were able to prove that our non-invasive approach is medically accurate. > How do you see your solution changing lives — especially for people living with diabetes long-term? Frequent glucose monitoring is key to managing diabetes, but many people avoid it because it’s painful or inconvenient. Our technology removes that barrier. Over time, this could mean better glucose control, fewer long-term complications, and a higher quality of life. Not just for people living with diabetes, but also for those at risk or those who take longevity seriously.    > What impact did winning the Deep Tech Award have on your visibility or credibility in the healthcare space? It put a spotlight on our work. The Deep Tech Award gave us recognition beyond the scientific community and helped position us as a serious innovator in both the MedTech and digital health space. It helped us connect with new partners and contributed to growing trust in our approach. > What role does #Berlin play in your journey as a MedTech innovator? Berlin is where science meets entrepreneurship. The city gave us access to leading research institutions, public funding programs, and a vibrant healthtech ecosystem. It’s also home to an open-minded community and strong infrastructure, the ideal base to grow a medical startup with global ambitions.    📣 Big news: DiaMonTech have just started a new Crowdinvesting-Kampagne campaign. Find more info in the comments 👇   Curious about the 2025 winners of the deep tech award? Keep an eye on Deep Tech Berlin for updates! 🚀

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