By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 15, 2025 7:21 pm
The global TCIM market is expected to reach nearly US$ 600 billion by 2025
(AI) is opening new possibilities for traditional medicine, combining centuries-old practices with modern technology to make care safer, more personalized, and more accessible.
At the AI for Good Global Summit, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released a new technical brief titled Mapping the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine. The report is part of the Global Initiative on AI for Health and offers guidance on how to use AI in traditional medicine responsibly, while protecting cultural heritage and data ownership.
Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is practiced in 170 countries and used by billions of people. Its popularity is growing worldwide due to increasing interest in holistic health approaches focused on prevention, wellness, and rehabilitation.
The new report highlights how countries are using AI to expand personalized care, support drug discovery, and conserve biodiversity. Examples include:
* AI-powered diagnostics in Ayurgenomics
* Machine learning models identifying medicinal plants in Ghana and South Africa
* AI analysis of traditional medicine compounds for treating blood disorders in the Republic of Korea
“Our Global Initiative on AI for Health aims to help all countries benefit from AI solutions while ensuring they are safe, effective, and ethical,” said Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. “This partnership between ITU, WHO, and WIPO brings together key expertise.”
The report stresses the need for high-quality, inclusive data and participatory design to ensure AI systems reflect the diversity of traditional medicine. AI can also help strengthen research and evidence, for example through tools like India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library and the Virtual Health Library in the Americas, which help preserve Indigenous knowledge, promote collaboration, and prevent biopiracy. Biopiracy refers to the unauthorized use of biological resources or traditional knowledge without proper compensation.
“Intellectual property is a key tool for helping integrate AI into traditional medicine,” said Edward Kwakwa, WIPO Assistant Director-General. “WIPO’s work, including the newly adopted WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, helps manage intellectual property in a way that protects the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.”
The report calls for urgent action to uphold Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) and ensure AI development follows free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). It shares examples of community-led data governance from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, and urges governments to create laws that give Indigenous Peoples control over their data.
“AI must not become a new form of exploitation,” said Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems. “Indigenous Peoples and local communities must be protected and actively involved in shaping the future of AI in traditional medicine.”
The global TCIM market is expected to reach nearly US$ 600 billion by 2025. AI could help this sector grow further, but there are still gaps in knowledge and risks that need to be addressed.