The Legal and Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Oncology

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating a revolution in the field of oncology. It is being used for medical imaging analysis, treatment planning, and patient counseling. The potential benefits include earlier cancer detection, more personalized treatment strategies, and improved patient support. However, this progress also presents significant legal and ethical uncertainties.

AI in Diagnosis and Treatment

AI tools are being used to enhance medical imaging data review of various scans, including magnetic resonance imaging scans, computed tomography scans, and mammograms. These algorithms are excellent at identifying subtle patterns that human eyes might overlook, leading to fast and accurate detection of cancer at its earliest stages. They have also been used to improve the detection of tumor margins specifically for radiation therapy, target radiotherapies, and design immunotherapy regimens. However, the use of AI in diagnosis presents significant legal and ethical questions if the diagnosis or treatment goes wrong. Liability in such cases is currently unclear whether it falls on the manufacturers, sellers, or hospitals where AI tools are used. Furthermore, the standard of care for AI tools is not yet defined, leading to ethical issues.

AI-based Patient Counseling

AI systems could play a significant role in patient counseling by providing helpful answers to cancer patients’ questions. However, data security is a crucial issue since AI responds to patients’ confidential information in counseling conversations. There may also be concerns about whether patients have provided informed consent to receive counseling from an AI system and any potential harmful advice. In addition, AI tools raise concerns about the “deskilling” of oncologists by causing them to lose capacity to effectively assist patients in the areas where AI is used.

Anticipating Future Directions and Issues

AI technologies need to be used to improve oncologists’ skills and outcomes, rather than “deskilling” them. Oncology practices should be aware of the potential for rapid evolution in liability laws, training oncologists to deal with the coming integration of AI into their practices, and selecting AI systems based on safety and reliability. To ensure that the technology serves as an effective tool to augment human expertise and deliver better outcomes for patients with cancer, it is essential to understand the evolving legal complexities of AI use in oncology.

Conclusion

Although AI tools offer promising advancements in diagnosis and treatment, their implications remain uncertain. Tackling legal, ethical, and social challenges associated with AI in oncology will take collaboration between oncologists, policymakers, and multiple stakeholders. Understanding these complexities can help ensure that the technology serves as an effective tool for augmenting human expertise and ultimately delivering better outcomes for patients with cancer.

Originally Post From https://ascopost.com/issues/may-25-2024/understanding-the-legal-and-ethical-challenges-ai-poses-in-oncology/

Delving Into Legal and Ethical Challenges of AI in Oncology on The ASCO Post