What ethics for artificial intelligence in health?

ALIA SANTé

Integrating artificial intelligence into the medical field means asking the right questions, especially at the ethical level.

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How to guarantee ethics for artificial intelligence related to health?

Ethics is the big question related to artificial intelligence, and especially in the field of health. Indeed, what is the legitimacy of the algorithm in medical decisions with all that they imply? Should we really allow artificial intelligence to have all the pragmatism it is capable of? The question arises in particular in decision-making for heavy operations. The main question in medicine, and therefore applied to AI in the medical field, is the risk-benefit balance.

We have been dealing with the risk-benefit balance a lot lately. It’s about taking into account all the factors that go into a medical choice. Thus, we get as close as possible to the pragmatism necessary to make an important decision.

An understandable and explainable AI.

We must ensure, from the outset, that artificial intelligence makes the right choices. Thus, the data scientist must direct it in moral choices and decisions. This is also done in the field of ethics related to artificial intelligences. Indeed, the question begins at the very moment when AI will intervene in human-related decisions. Medical coverage, hiring or access to credit.

In the field of health, it is essential that the AI used is understandable and explainable. Indeed, when it comes to health and therefore sensitive decisions, it is difficult to accept the use of technologies that we do not understand.

Putting artificial intelligence in place in the field of health is to ensure reliable assistance to medicine. Today, AI is not intended to replace health professionals, it aims to assist them. By inserting the IAM in the health system, it is also a daily comfort that is assured to professionals.

Therefore, it is necessary that healthcare professionals intervene in the development of AI algorithms. Similarly, they will have control over all decisions related to human lives. This is how the balance between AI and caregiver, but also technology and morality will be maintained.

Docteur avec une tablette devant une salle opératoire

Protection of privacy and medical data.

In medicine, one of the main rules of ethics is to treat anyone who requires medical intervention. It is on this principle that medical artificial intelligence must be based. Protecting data and preventing all types of stereotypical bias is crucial to ensuring IAM performance. 

There’s a lot of sensitive data in the health world. That privacy data requires a lot of protection. This is why the CNIL oversees the advances made around digital health. To this end, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into force on 25 May 2018. The purpose of this regulation is to protect users and regulate the use of data. Thus, it guarantees an ethical use of artificial intelligence in health.

Protecting personal data, supporting innovation, preserving individual freedoms"

Ethics and artificial intelligence, inseparable notions.

In Europe, the parliament is the first in the world to tackle ethical legislation in artificial intelligence. If one thing was highlighted during the talks, it is the prioritization of human rights in the race for progress. In order to guarantee an ethical development of digital technology, the European Union, concerned about many other aspects of the web, is working to establish means of trust in order to develop rules governing the use of artificial intelligence.

Today, there are very explicit sites and very relevant moral dilemmas about the choices that an artificial intelligence must make. Starting from the idea of the automatic car, the site Moral Machine has fun offering humans some of the millions of choices that an AI can make today.

Thus, from the development of the idea of artificial intelligence until today, all areas are actively applied in research related to this new revolutionary pillar.

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