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Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: A Sword of Damocles?

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Abstract

Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) re-humanize or de-humanize medicine? As AI becomes pervasive in clinical medicine, we argue that the ethical framework that sustains a responsible implementation of such technologies should be reconsidered. The emergence of AI in the clinical setting will challenge our traditional moral boundaries surrounding discussions of patient care since it is unclear how the implementation of AI will promote and enhance the humanistic dimensions of medical practice. There are reasons for concern regarding 1) the anthropological implications of AI in the clinical context; 2) the method(s) and framework(s) used to address ethical issues in medicine; and 3) the impact of AI on clinical practice, particularly in the nature of clinical judgment. These three concerns are examined in hopes of providing pointers for subsequent and more in-depth discussions regarding clinical practice but the training of future health professionals.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank David Larson and Adina Kalet for their helpful feedback on an earlier draft of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities; Kern Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA

    Fabrice Jotterand & Clara Bosco

  2. Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Fabrice Jotterand

  3. MD Candidate, Class of 2022 Medical College of Wisconsin, | WI, Milwaukee, USA

    Clara Bosco

Authors
  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. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: A Sword of Damocles?. J Med Syst 46, 9 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-021-01796-7

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