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Keeping the “Human in the Loop” in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Accompanying Commentary for “Correcting the Brain?” by Rainey and Erden

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Abstract

The benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine are unquestionable and it is unlikely that the pace of its development will slow down. From better diagnosis, prognosis, and prevention to more precise surgical procedures, AI has the potential to offer unique opportunities to enhance patient care and improve clinical practice overall. However, at this stage of AI technology development it is unclear whether it will de-humanize or re-humanize medicine. Will AI allow clinicians to spend less time on administrative tasks and technology related procedures and more time being present in person to attend to the needs of their patients? Or will AI dramatically increase the presence of smart technology in the clinical context to a point of undermining the humane dimension of the patient–physician relationship? In this brief commentary, we argue that technological solutions should be only integrated into clinical medicine if they fulfill the following three conditions: (1) they serve human ends; (2) they respect personal identity; and (3) they promote human interaction. These three conditions form the moral imperative of humanity.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA

    Fabrice Jotterand & Clara Bosco

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  1. Fabrice Jotterand
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  2. Clara Bosco
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Correspondence to Fabrice Jotterand.

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Jotterand, F., Bosco, C. Keeping the “Human in the Loop” in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Sci Eng Ethics 26, 2455–2460 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-020-00241-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-020-00241-1

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