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WHO Calls for Coordinated Ethical Oversight of AI-Related Health Research
The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for stronger and coordinated ethical oversight of AI-related health research. WHO highlights ethical concerns in AI health research and issues key recommendations on oversight, including roles beyond Research Ethics Committees (RECs).
Ethical oversight of AI-related health research:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Key ethical concerns | AI-related health research raises concerns including: pace of AI development, privacy, bias, fairness and equity, transparency, accountability, transferability, and rapid deployment. |
| Role of Research Ethics Committees | RECs are traditionally responsible for protecting research participants. |
| REC capacity needs for AI studies | RECs may require enhanced technical expertise, and additional training and resources, to assess AI-related studies. |
| Ethics review gap in certain AI studies | Certain AI studies do not involve direct interaction with human participants, and studies using anonymized data may not be subject to traditional ethics review processes. |
| WHO approach to oversight actors | Ethical oversight should not rely solely on RECs, and comprises involvement of researchers, funders, data access committees, scientific journals, professional societies, and regulatory agencies. |
| WHO key recommendations | WHO recommendations comprise: enhance ethics training and certification for researchers; identify ethical risks early; increase transparency about known risks; ensure responsible treatment of data workers; strengthen communication with the public; increase public engagement; strengthen research capacity in developing countries; promote equitable participation of local researchers and institutions. |
| India: existing ethical framework | India has established an ethical framework for the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. |
| ICMR Guidelines (2023) | The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in biomedical research and healthcare. |
| ICMR key principles (2023) | ICMR key principles comprise: autonomy, safety, data privacy, accountability, fairness, equity, and informed consent. |