Fair and equitable AI in biomedical research and healthcare: Social science perspectives

Renate Baumgartner; Payal Arora; Corinna Bath; Darja Burljaev; Kinga Ciereszko; Bart Custers; Jin Ding; Waltraud Ernst; Eduard Fosch-Villaronga; Vassilis Galanos; Thomas Gremsl; Tereza Hendl; Cordula Kropp; Christian Lenk; Paul Martin; Somto Mbelu; Sara Morais Dos Santos Bruss; Karolina Napiwodzka; Ewa Nowak; Tiara Roxanne; Silja Samerski; David Schneeberger; Karolin Tampe-Mai; Katerina Vlantoni; Kevin Wiggert; Robin Williams

doi:10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102658

Fair and equitable AI in biomedical research and healthcare: Social science perspectives

Artif Intell Med. 2023 Oct:144:102658. doi: 10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102658. Epub 2023 Sep 4.

Authors

Renate Baumgartner¹, Payal Arora², Corinna Bath³, Darja Burljaev⁴, Kinga Ciereszko⁵, Bart Custers⁶, Jin Ding⁷, Waltraud Ernst⁸, Eduard Fosch-Villaronga⁶, Vassilis Galanos⁹, Thomas Gremsl¹⁰, Tereza Hendl¹¹, Cordula Kropp¹², Christian Lenk¹³, Paul Martin⁷, Somto Mbelu¹⁴, Sara Morais Dos Santos Bruss¹⁵, Karolina Napiwodzka⁵, Ewa Nowak⁵, Tiara Roxanne¹⁶, Silja Samerski¹⁷, David Schneeberger¹⁸, Karolin Tampe-Mai¹², Katerina Vlantoni¹⁹, Kevin Wiggert²⁰, Robin Williams⁹

Affiliations

¹ Center of Gender- and Diversity Research, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.baumgartner@vu.nl.
² Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Gender, Technology and Mobility, Institute for Flight Guidance, TU Braunschweig, Hermann-Blenk-Str. 27, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany.
⁴ Center of Gender- and Diversity Research, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
⁵ Department of Philosophy, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Szamarzewski Street 89C, 60-569 Poznan, Poland.
⁶ eLaw - Center for Law and Digital Technologies, Leiden University, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES Leiden, Netherlands.
⁷ iHuman and Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, ICOSS, 219 Portobello, Sheffield S1 4DP, United Kingdom.
⁸ Institute for Women's and Gender Studies, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria.
⁹ Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Old Surgeons' Hall, High School Yards, Edinburgh EH1 1LZ, United Kingdom.
¹⁰ Institute of Ethics and Social Teaching, Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 78b/2, 8010 Graz, Austria.
¹¹ Professorship for Ethics of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Ethics, History and Theory of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Lessingstr. 2, 80336 Munich, Germany.
¹² Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS), University of Stuttgart, Seidenstraße 36, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany.
¹³ Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Ulm University, Parkstraße 11, 89073 Ulm, Germany.
¹⁴ Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 10A Ademola Close off Remi Fani Kayode Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
¹⁵ Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin, Germany.
¹⁶ Data & Society Institute, 228 Park Ave S PMB 83075, New York, NY 10003-1502, United States of America.
¹⁷ Fachbereich Soziale Arbeit und Gesundheit, Hochschule Emden/Leer, Constantiaplatz 4, 26723 Emden, Germany.
¹⁸ Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 2, 8036 Graz, Austria.
¹⁹ Department of History and Philosophy of Science, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli, Ilisia, Athens 15771, Greece.
²⁰ Institute of Sociology, Department Sociology of Technology and Innovation, Technical University of Berlin, Fraunhoferstraße 33-36, 10623 Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 37783540
DOI: 10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102658

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers opportunities but also challenges for biomedical research and healthcare. This position paper shares the results of the international conference "Fair medicine and AI" (online 3-5 March 2021). Scholars from science and technology studies (STS), gender studies, and ethics of science and technology formulated opportunities, challenges, and research and development desiderata for AI in healthcare. AI systems and solutions, which are being rapidly developed and applied, may have undesirable and unintended consequences including the risk of perpetuating health inequalities for marginalized groups. Socially robust development and implications of AI in healthcare require urgent investigation. There is a particular dearth of studies in human-AI interaction and how this may best be configured to dependably deliver safe, effective and equitable healthcare. To address these challenges, we need to establish diverse and interdisciplinary teams equipped to develop and apply medical AI in a fair, accountable and transparent manner. We formulate the importance of including social science perspectives in the development of intersectionally beneficent and equitable AI for biomedical research and healthcare, in part by strengthening AI health evaluation.

Keywords: Bias; Discrimination; Health equity; Inequalities; Medicine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Artificial Intelligence
Biomedical Research*
Delivery of Health Care
Humans
Medicine*
Social Sciences

Grants and funding

219875/Z/19/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom