Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, personalizing medicine and improving surgical precision. However, its integration into healthcare systems raises significant ethical and legal challenges. This review explores key ethical principles—autonomy, beneficen...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241873 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849726949217271808 |
|---|---|
| author | Tuan Pham |
| author_facet | Tuan Pham |
| author_sort | Tuan Pham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, personalizing medicine and improving surgical precision. However, its integration into healthcare systems raises significant ethical and legal challenges. This review explores key ethical principles—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, transparency and accountability—highlighting their relevance in AI-driven decision-making. Legal challenges, including data privacy and security, liability for AI errors, regulatory approval processes, intellectual property and cross-border regulations, are also addressed. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, questions of responsibility and fairness must be carefully considered, particularly with the potential for biased algorithms to amplify healthcare disparities. This paper underscores the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration between technologists, healthcare providers, legal experts and policymakers to create adaptive, globally harmonized frameworks. Public engagement is emphasized as essential for fostering trust and ensuring ethical AI adoption. With AI technologies advancing rapidly, a flexible regulatory environment that evolves with innovation is critical. Aligning AI innovation with ethical and legal imperatives will lead to a safer, more equitable healthcare system for all. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5a1057b47e6648a7977abc46b18bbcea |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-5a1057b47e6648a7977abc46b18bbcea2025-08-20T03:10:01ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-05-0112510.1098/rsos.241873Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair useTuan Pham0Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UKArtificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, personalizing medicine and improving surgical precision. However, its integration into healthcare systems raises significant ethical and legal challenges. This review explores key ethical principles—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, transparency and accountability—highlighting their relevance in AI-driven decision-making. Legal challenges, including data privacy and security, liability for AI errors, regulatory approval processes, intellectual property and cross-border regulations, are also addressed. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, questions of responsibility and fairness must be carefully considered, particularly with the potential for biased algorithms to amplify healthcare disparities. This paper underscores the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration between technologists, healthcare providers, legal experts and policymakers to create adaptive, globally harmonized frameworks. Public engagement is emphasized as essential for fostering trust and ensuring ethical AI adoption. With AI technologies advancing rapidly, a flexible regulatory environment that evolves with innovation is critical. Aligning AI innovation with ethical and legal imperatives will lead to a safer, more equitable healthcare system for all.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241873artificial intelligencehealthcareethicslaws and regulationspolicies |
| spellingShingle | Tuan Pham Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use Royal Society Open Science artificial intelligence healthcare ethics laws and regulations policies |
| title | Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use |
| title_full | Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use |
| title_fullStr | Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use |
| title_short | Ethical and legal considerations in healthcare AI: innovation and policy for safe and fair use |
| title_sort | ethical and legal considerations in healthcare ai innovation and policy for safe and fair use |
| topic | artificial intelligence healthcare ethics laws and regulations policies |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241873 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tuanpham ethicalandlegalconsiderationsinhealthcareaiinnovationandpolicyforsafeandfairuse |