AI for Healthcare: Inspiring Conversations Across Generations at the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2025

AI4Health Centres at the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2025

This past weekend, the AI4Health Centres took part in the Great Exhibition Road Festival (GERF) 2025, held in South Kensington. The event brought together people of all ages, from curious five-year-olds asking how robots learn to 87-year-olds sharing their healthcare technology experiences.

This wide age range highlighted strong public interest in how artificial intelligence can influence medical care. The festival provided a platform for open discussions on AI’s role in healthcare, covering ethical concerns, clinical reliability, and how AI can support healthcare professionals.

Key Public Insights on AI in Healthcare

The AI4Health exhibit focused on the question: “What superpowers can we give doctors and nurses with AI?” Visitors shared thoughtful ideas, including:

• Earlier diagnosis of disease: Many see AI as a tool to detect conditions before symptoms appear.
• Less paperwork: A practical improvement that would ease daily workloads for clinicians.
• User-friendly AI: Emphasizing the need for simple, human-centred design to make AI accessible in clinical settings.

Interactive demonstrations, research posters, and games introduced attendees to the diverse work of AI4Health researchers. Participants were surprised by the range of tasks involved—from algorithm development and data analysis to ethical considerations and ensuring clinical safety. This multidisciplinary approach is essential to integrating AI effectively in healthcare.

"I didn't realise AI in healthcare was this complex—there's so much more to it than just coding!" remarked one visitor, reflecting a common takeaway from the event.

Engaging Conversations and Public Impact

Over two days, the AI4Health team spoke with around 400 people, engaging in nearly 30 hours of discussion. Each conversation, averaging five minutes, offered insights into how AI is already shaping medical research and practice, alongside future possibilities and challenges.

Professor Aldo Faisal, Director of the UKRI Centres in AI for Healthcare, noted, “It was inspiring to see such a diverse and engaged audience exploring how AI can shape the future of healthcare. The curiosity and thoughtful questions we received highlight the importance of involving the public in these conversations.”

Team Effort and Support

The event’s success was thanks to the dedication of AI4Health PhD researchers who volunteered their time. Their expertise helped make AI research understandable and relevant to a broad audience.

This event was supported by UK Research and Innovation under the following grants:
UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training in AI for Healthcare grant number EP/S023283/1
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Healthcare grant number EP/Y030974/1