Can AI systems meet the ethical requirements of professional decision-making in health care?

Abstract

The ethical issues around the growing adoption of AI are many and varied. This article will focus on the growing use of AI in the context of professional decision-making within health care. It has been suggested that if automation and robotics threaten blue collar roles, then AI threatens the jobs of those in white collar or professional roles. This article will seek to consider the question "How well can AI meet the ethical requirements of being a health care professional?" The paper will begin by considering the fundamental technologies of AI and their limitations. It will then outline the fundamental ethical principles of professional codes of conduct which define what it means to be a professional and what professionals need to be able to do. This will be illustrated by the use of two case studies. Finally, it will consider whether AI systems can do this in light of their inherent limitations.