More than 400 international delegates from 37 countries attended the International Conference on Medical Regulation, held in Dublin earlier this monthThe sixteenth iteration of the conference took place with the theme of ‘people-focused regulation for a safer global community’. Held in the Clayton Hotel from September 3 to 6, the event was organised by the International Associations of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) and hosted by the Medical Council of Ireland. In a video addressed to conference delegates World Health Organisation director-general Dr Tedros who outlined the role of medical regulation, not only for patient safety but for enabling the workforce to meet broader health system goals. He emphasised that ‘the health workforce is the backbone of any health system’, outlining how health systems today must confront growing emergencies, rising displacement of health workers, and technological change. The Medical Council also revealed plans to publish a position paper on AI in medicine in the coming months.