The AiNed Learning Community Care for AI Readiness Acquiring Insights (CARAI) has been named a Frontrunner by the Action Learning Network (ALN). The ALN is part of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport’s (VWS) “Working in Healthcare” action program and highlights innovative initiatives in healthcare and welfare that contribute to the retention, development, and training of healthcare professionals.
An organization or project is awarded the title of “Pioneer” when it serves as a successful and innovative model for addressing labor market challenges in the healthcare and social services sector. This recognition underscores CARAI’s impact on strengthening AI knowledge, skills, and responsible AI applications within the sector.
CARAI brings together educational institutions, healthcare providers, government agencies, and the private sector to make AI accessible and practical in real-world applications. The community focuses on accelerating the adoption of AI in healthcare and social services, with an emphasis on human-centered and responsible use of AI.
Learning Together and Accelerating
The title “Frontrunner” underscores the community’s impact on the Dutch AI landscape. Within the Learning Community, participants collaborate on current AI challenges, develop new skills, and share real-world experiences. In this phase, a total of 125 healthcare educators and researchers, 100 healthcare professionals, and 24 students (ICT and TBK) were involved in sharing and applying knowledge about data and AI.
The focus is on:
- strengthening AI knowledge and AI skills;
- accelerating AI applications;
- responsible and people-centered use of AI;
- collaboration between organizations and sectors.
The Practical Impact of AI
CARAI’s mission is twofold: first, to develop concrete, responsible AI applications that support healthcare processes; and second, to strengthen AI expertise and innovation capacity within the healthcare and welfare sectors, both on the front lines and in the labor market.
Important lessons were also learned during the establishment and rollout of the community. For example, it has become clear that it is essential to have a central hub that brings stakeholders together and facilitates collaboration, such as through a grant program or a programmatic approach. Furthermore, successfully connecting practice, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the healthcare sector requires time, patience, and clear coordination among all parties involved.
In addition, the initiators emphasize the importance of sound financial management and actively involving representatives from the field in the planning, phasing, and implementation of the project.
Impact on healthcare and society
The Learning Community demonstrates how organizations can use AI responsibly while simultaneously driving innovation, productivity, and social impact. By combining knowledge sharing, real-world examples, and collaboration, it creates a strong foundation for sustainable AI development in the Netherlands.
Want to learn more about AiNed Learning Communities?
The AiNed Learning Community is a multi-year collaboration in which organizations learn about AI together. Participants work collaboratively on real-world cases, thereby actively learning to work with and about AI techniques and models through case-based learning. In this way, they help to expand AI knowledge and expertise among employees and students. A Learning Community focuses on one or more of the four application areas, has a thematic focus, and offers new opportunities for funding and collaboration. For more background information and examples, see the page below.
