The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Diagnostics

Document Type : Review Article

Author

Eye Research Center, Department of Eye, Amiralmomenin Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Science, Rasht, Iran

Abstract
The field of AI ethics has become a global enterprise with a wide range of actors. However, AI ethics is not new. With new uses of AI, AI ethics has flourished beyond academia. For example, in 2021, UNESCO appointed 24 experts from around the world and launched a global online consultation on AI ethics to facilitate dialogue and exchange of views with all member states. One of the major problems that AI ethics and ethicists may face is the ambiguity of what is actually happening in AI, given that understanding what is good about an activity is itself very useful in determining its ethical issues. Despite the lack of transparency of AI in its current form, the important point is what kind of ethical issues can arise due to the use and development of this technology, which is a matter of debate and investigation. Another concern is transparency and explain ability. Many AI systems act like black boxes. The decision-making process is not transparent. This undermines trust among healthcare providers and patients and their companions. It is unacceptable in the medical field that even the designers of AI systems do not know exactly how AI reached a particular result due to the complexity of algorithms such as artificial neural networks. Because we are dealing with human lives here. The challenge of human decision-making is also raised. The use of medical automation processes can reach the point where AI judgment is pitted against human judgment. Relying on AI for diagnostic or treatment decisions raises questions about the role of humans. Although the use of processing power and big data reduces the error rate of AI results, who will be responsible if AI makes a mistake?

Graphical Abstract

The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Diagnostics

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