Research ethics and artificial intelligence for global health: perspectives from the global forum on bioethics in research
Issued Date
2024-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
14726939
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85190707255
Journal Title
BMC Medical Ethics
Volume
25
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
BMC Medical Ethics Vol.25 No.1 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Shaw J., Ali J., Atuire C.A., Cheah P.Y., Español A.G., Gichoya J.W., Hunt A., Jjingo D., Littler K., Paolotti D., Vayena E. Research ethics and artificial intelligence for global health: perspectives from the global forum on bioethics in research. BMC Medical Ethics Vol.25 No.1 (2024). doi:10.1186/s12910-024-01044-w Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/98108
Title
Research ethics and artificial intelligence for global health: perspectives from the global forum on bioethics in research
Author's Affiliation
University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Institute for Scientific Interchange Foundation
Makerere University
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
ETH Zürich
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
University of Ghana
Harvard University
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
Emory University School of Medicine
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Institute for Scientific Interchange Foundation
Makerere University
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
ETH Zürich
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
University of Ghana
Harvard University
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
Emory University School of Medicine
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Background: The ethical governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care and public health continues to be an urgent issue for attention in policy, research, and practice. In this paper we report on central themes related to challenges and strategies for promoting ethics in research involving AI in global health, arising from the Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR), held in Cape Town, South Africa in November 2022. Methods: The GFBR is an annual meeting organized by the World Health Organization and supported by the Wellcome Trust, the US National Institutes of Health, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the South African MRC. The forum aims to bring together ethicists, researchers, policymakers, research ethics committee members and other actors to engage with challenges and opportunities specifically related to research ethics. In 2022 the focus of the GFBR was “Ethics of AI in Global Health Research”. The forum consisted of 6 case study presentations, 16 governance presentations, and a series of small group and large group discussions. A total of 87 participants attended the forum from 31 countries around the world, representing disciplines of bioethics, AI, health policy, health professional practice, research funding, and bioinformatics. In this paper, we highlight central insights arising from GFBR 2022. Results: We describe the significance of four thematic insights arising from the forum: (1) Appropriateness of building AI, (2) Transferability of AI systems, (3) Accountability for AI decision-making and outcomes, and (4) Individual consent. We then describe eight recommendations for governance leaders to enhance the ethical governance of AI in global health research, addressing issues such as AI impact assessments, environmental values, and fair partnerships. Conclusions: The 2022 Global Forum on Bioethics in Research illustrated several innovations in ethical governance of AI for global health research, as well as several areas in need of urgent attention internationally. This summary is intended to inform international and domestic efforts to strengthen research ethics and support the evolution of governance leadership to meet the demands of AI in global health research.