The risks of artificial intelligence: A narrative review and ethical reflection from an Oral Medicine group

Abstract

As a relatively new tool, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and dentistry has the potential to significantly transform the healthcare sector. AI has already demonstrated efficacy in medical diagnosis across several specialties, used successfully to detect breast, lung and skin cancer. In Oral Medicine, AI may be applied in a similar fashion, used in the detection and diagnosis of oral cancers and oral potentially malignant diseases. Despite its promise as a transformative diagnostic aid, the use of AI in healthcare presents significant safety, reliability and ethical concerns. There is no formal consensus on the safe and ethical implementation of AI systems in healthcare settings, but the literature converges on several key principles of ethical AI use including transparency, justice and fairness, non‐maleficence, responsibility and privacy. This article provides a narrative review of the key ethical issues surrounding AI use in medicine, and reflects on these, providing view‐points of a bioethicist and Oral Medicine clinicians from several units.