AI-assisted ethics? considerations of AI simulation for the ethical assessment and design of assistive technologies

Silke Schicktanz; Johannes Welsch; Mark Schweda; Andreas Hein; Jochem W Rieger; Thomas Kirste

doi:10.3389/fgene.2023.1039839

AI-assisted ethics? considerations of AI simulation for the ethical assessment and design of assistive technologies

Front Genet. 2023 Jun 26:14:1039839. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1039839. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Silke Schicktanz^{1

2}, Johannes Welsch¹, Mark Schweda³, Andreas Hein⁴, Jochem W Rieger⁵, Thomas Kirste⁶

Affiliations

¹ University Medical Center Göttingen, Department for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
² Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, Institute of Advance Studies, Delmenhorst, Germany.
³ University of Oldenburg, Department of Health Services Research, Division for Ethics in Medicine, Oldenburg, Germany.
⁴ University of Oldenburg, Department of Health Services Research, Division Assistance Systems and Medical Device Technology, Oldenburg, Germany.
⁵ University of Oldenburg, Applied Neurocognitive Psychology Lab, Oldenburg, Germany.
⁶ University of Rostock, Institute for Visual and Analytic Computing, Rostock, Germany.

Abstract

Current ethical debates on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare treat AI as a product of technology in three ways. First, by assessing risks and potential benefits of currently developed AI-enabled products with ethical checklists; second, by proposing ex ante lists of ethical values seen as relevant for the design and development of assistive technology, and third, by promoting AI technology to use moral reasoning as part of the automation process. The dominance of these three perspectives in the discourse is demonstrated by a brief summary of the literature. Subsequently, we propose a fourth approach to AI, namely, as a methodological tool to assist ethical reflection. We provide a concept of an AI-simulation informed by three separate elements: 1) stochastic human behavior models based on behavioral data for simulating realistic settings, 2) qualitative empirical data on value statements regarding internal policy, and 3) visualization components that aid in understanding the impact of changes in these variables. The potential of this approach is to inform an interdisciplinary field about anticipated ethical challenges or ethical trade-offs in concrete settings and, hence, to spark a re-evaluation of design and implementation plans. This may be particularly useful for applications that deal with extremely complex values and behavior or with limitations on the communication resources of affected persons (e.g., persons with dementia care or for care of persons with cognitive impairment). Simulation does not replace ethical reflection but does allow for detailed, context-sensitive analysis during the design process and prior to implementation. Finally, we discuss the inherently quantitative methods of analysis afforded by stochastic simulations as well as the potential for ethical discussions and how simulations with AI can improve traditional forms of thought experiments and future-oriented technology assessment.

Keywords: conceptual approach; ethical reflection; intelligent assistive technology; person with dementia; simulation.

Grants and funding

The current study was carried out within the context of the ongoing BMBF research project “Ethical and Social Issues of Co-Intelligent Monitoring and Assistive Technologies in Dementia Care (EIDEC).” This work is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), funding number: 01GP1901 (January 2020–June 2023). SiS received a Fellowship from the Hanse Institute of Advance Studies, Delmenhorst, Germany which allowed her to concentrate on this interdisciplinary paper.