Leads Release of Nation's First 'AI Doctor' Application Standard in Surgical Field

Background

The application of artificial intelligence in healthcare has been expanding rapidly, with large models and intelligent agents explored for clinical decision support, health management and perioperative care. In thoracic surgery, conditions such as lung cancer can progress quickly, requiring prompt multidisciplinary decision-making that integrates medical imaging, pathology, laboratory tests, anesthesia evaluations and comorbidity management.

Peking University People's Hospital has collaborated with Ant Health on AI initiatives. A team including Academician Wang Jun previously developed the GAPS framework, described as the world's first evaluation system for large language models' evidence-based capabilities in specialty diseases, with an initial focus on non-small cell lung cancer. This framework and associated dataset were applied to the Ant Afu app. Over 500 doctors have also provided AI digital clones on the platform for public health consultations. As AI use grows, the need for unified technical norms, capability boundaries and auditable governance has been recognized as key to safe, scalable deployment.

What was achieved

On December 29, 2025, Peking University People's Hospital unveiled a Medical Artificial Intelligence Innovation Joint Research Center in partnership with Ant Health. Concurrently, the hospital led the compilation and release of China's first application standard for an "AI Doctor" in the surgical field.

Titled "Medical and Health Industry Intelligent Agent Application Technical Requirements Part 3: Thoracic Surgery AI Doctor," the standard was developed with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Ant Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Zhengzhou People's Hospital, Lu'an People's Hospital, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated First People's Hospital and other institutions. It sets systematic requirements for thoracic surgery AI across medical professional capabilities, interactive service capabilities, digital twin construction, continuous optimization, safety, ethics and compliance, and foundational intelligent agent abilities. The standard targets support for disease diagnosis and staging, surgical and non-surgical treatment planning, perioperative risk management, and complex case differentiation while promoting traceable, auditable and verifiable application to protect safety, compliance and patient rights.

How it works

Thoracic surgery addresses diseases of the lungs, esophagus and mediastinum, where rapid progression often leaves a narrow window for decisions. Clinicians integrate diverse data sources and collaborate across specialties to choose appropriate interventions and manage care before and after procedures. The new standard defines technical expectations for an AI "doctor" intelligent agent to assist these processes without replacing physicians.

In plain language, the AI system is expected to analyze patient information against medical knowledge and guidelines to support accurate diagnosis, staging, treatment recommendations and risk assessment. It must meet benchmarks for medical expertise (grounded, adequate, robust and safe), provide effective interactive responses for clinicians, incorporate mechanisms for ongoing improvement and digital representations where applicable, uphold data privacy and harm prevention under safety rules, follow ethical standards for transparency and consent, and operate on reliable agent foundations. All AI outputs remain subject to physician review, ensuring decisions are explainable, auditable and centered on clinical judgment and patient safety. This framework aims to enhance decision efficiency and quality in thoracic surgery while maintaining strict controls.

What it means for international patients

Peking University People's Hospital operates a Department of International Medical Services in a dedicated special needs and international building at its Xizhimen campus. The department provides one-stop services covering outpatient consultations, examinations, hospitalization, surgery and follow-up. It supports English, Russian, Japanese and Korean languages and works with certain international insurance providers for direct billing.

International patients considering thoracic care at the hospital, where AI standardization efforts are led by a department recognized for this specialty, should verify current offerings directly. Availability and eligibility for any AI-supported tools in decision-making or perioperative management must be confirmed with the hospital, as specific clinical applications of the new standard were not detailed in reports. Appointments can be arranged via the international hotline at +86-10-88324190, email at pkuphiao@163.com, WeChat official account or through insurance partners.

About the hospital

Peking University People's Hospital is a tertiary grade-A comprehensive hospital located at 11 Xizhimen South Street in Beijing's Xicheng District. Founded in 1918 as Beijing Central Hospital, it was the first general Western medicine hospital financed and managed by Chinese nationals, with modern medicine pioneer Dr. Wu Lien-teh as its first president. It serves as Peking University's Second Clinical Medical College and is affiliated with Peking University.

The hospital integrates medical care, teaching and research. It is home to national centers for trauma medicine and hematologic disease clinical research and maintains multiple national clinical key specialties, including strength in hematology, thoracic surgery, rheumatology, obstetrics and gynecology, and orthopedics. It has established an International Medical Services Department to support overseas patients with multilingual, coordinated care. The hospital's thoracic surgery department is a national key clinical specialty.