The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in Digestive Healthcare and the Bioethics Challenges It Presents

With modern society well entrenched in the digital area, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to extract useful information from big data has become more commonplace in our daily lives than we perhaps realize. Medical specialties that rely heavily on imaging techniques have become a strong focus for the incorporation of AI tools to aid disease diagnosis and monitoring, yet AI-based tools that can be employed in the clinic are only now beginning to become a reality. However, the potential introduction of these applications raises a number of ethical issues that must be addressed before they can be implemented, among the most important of which are issues related to privacy, data protection, data bias, explainability and responsibility. In this short review, we aim to highlight some of the most important bioethical issues that will have to be addressed if AI solutions are to be successfully incorporated into healthcare protocols, and ideally, before they are put in place. In particular, we contemplate the use of these aids in the field of gastroenterology, focusing particularly on capsule endoscopy and highlighting efforts aimed at resolving the issues associated with their use when available.

Automated summary

With the advance of the digital era, the use of AI for extracting valuable information from big data has become more common than we realize. Medical specialties, especially imaging techniques, have focused on incorporating AI tools for disease diagnosis and monitoring, although their practical application in clinics is still in its early stages. However, the introduction of these applications raises ethical issues concerning privacy, data protection, bias, explainability, and responsibility. This review highlights important bioethical concerns that need to be addressed before integrating AI solutions in healthcare protocols, with a specific focus on gastroenterology and capsule endoscopy.