Who Consultation Towards The Development Of Guidance On Ethics And Governance Of Artificial Intelligence For Health

The present document is the report of the first expert meeting, which was held 2–4 October 2019 at WHO in Geneva. Participants discussed current and potential artificial intelligence (AI) applications for global health in the context of existing frameworks and human rights standards. The participants considered the main challenges of ethics, governance and equitable access and discussed potential solutions. The expert meeting has established a foundation for the second meeting which was held on 5 and 6 March 2020 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The publication of the WHO guidance document on Ethics and governance of AI for health is envisaged for completion in 2021.

The book provides a multidisciplinary outlook on using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions in the field of Personalized Medicine and its transitioning towards Personalized Digital Medicine. The first section integrates different perspectives on AI-based solutions and highlights their potential in biomedical research and patient care. In the second section, the authors present several real-world examples that demonstrate the successful use of AI technologies in various contexts. These include examples from digital therapeutics, in silico clinical trials, and network pharmacology. In the final section of the book, the authors explore future directions in AI-enhanced biomedical technologies and discuss emerging technologies such as blockchain, quantum computing and the “metaverse”. The book includes discussions on the ethical, regulatory, and social implications for an AI-based personalized medicine. The integration of heterogeneous disciplines brings together multiple stakeholders and decision makers involved in the personalization of care. Clinicians, students, and researchers from academia and the industry can benefit from this book, since it provides foundational knowledge to drive advances in personalized biomedical research and health care.

This WHO Guidance document discusses ethical and governance issues as they arise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for health. It contains a set of principles, recommendations, and checklists for selected end-users. The target audience is Ministries of Health, AI developers, health care workers, and industry.

The framework aims to provide global perspectives on principles, tools and mechanisms to support Member States and relevant stakeholders to mitigate and prevent biorisks and govern dual-use research. The framework adopts the One health approach and focuses on the role that responsible life sciences research can play in preventing and mitigating risks caused by accidents, inadvertent or deliberate misuse with the intention to cause harm to humans, nonhuman animals, plants and agriculture, and the environment. The framework is primarily intended for those who have responsibilities in the governance of biorisks, such as policy makers and regulators in charge of developing national policies to harness the potential benefits of the life sciences while constraining their risks. The framework is also directed towards scientists and research institutions, educators, trainers, project management staff, funding bodies, publishers, editors, the private sector and all relevant stakeholders that are part of the research life cycle. The governance of biorisks is an issue that should engage all countries, although countries will have different contexts, needs and starting points. Mitigating these risks will require individual and collective actions among different stakeholders and disciplines. Mitigating biorisks and governing dual-use research is a shared responsibility.

Investments in research and development are crucial for the innovation process in modern societies. There are more perspectives through which innovation can realize important results, including the knowledge creation source, the digital innovation relative to artificial intelligence (AI), the sustainable transition from traditional technology to renewable technology, and the role of the concept of entrepreneurship linked to innovation. Economic operators need different skills to cope with high degrees of competitiveness and achieve the highest profit levels. The analysis carried out in this book considers the interactions among innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. This in-depth investigation identifies the relevant forces useful for the transformations of modern economies and suggests appropriate support policies.

We already observe the positive effects of AI in almost every field, and foresee its potential to help address our sustainable development goals and the urgent challenges for the preservation of the environment. We also perceive that the risks related to the safety, security, confidentiality, and fairness of AI systems, the threats to free will of possibly manipulative systems, as well as the impact of AI on the economy, employment, human rights, equality, diversity, inclusion, and social cohesion need to be better assessed. The development and use of AI must be guided by principles of social cohesion, environmental sustainability, resource sharing, and inclusion. It has to integrate human rights, and social, cultural, and ethical values of democracy. It requires continued education and training as well as continual assessment of its effects through social deliberation. The “Reflections on AI for Humanity” proposed in this book develop the following issues and sketch approaches for addressing them: How can we ensure the security requirements of critical applications and the safety and confidentiality of data communication and processing? What techniques and regulations for the validation, certification, and audit of AI tools are needed to develop confidence in AI? How can we identify and overcome biases in algorithms? How do we design systems that respect essential human values, ensuring moral equality and inclusion? What kinds of governance mechanisms are needed for personal data, metadata, and aggregated data at various levels? What are the effects of AI and automation on the transformation and social division of labor? What are the impacts on economic structures? What proactive and accommodation measures will be required? How will people benefit from decision support systems and personal digital assistants without the risk of manipulation? How do we design transparent and intelligible procedures and ensure that their functions reflect our values and criteria? How can we anticipate failure and restore human control over an AI system when it operates outside its intended scope? How can we devote a substantial part of our research and development resources to the major challenges of our time such as climate, environment, health, and education?