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Should Doctor Robot possess moral empathy?

Elisabetta Sirgiovanni1

  • 1Section of History of Medicine and Bioethics, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Bioethics
|August 24, 2024
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Summary

Criticisms of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare are misplaced. Empathy, while praised, introduces biases into the doctor-patient relationship (DPR), potentially harming patient equality and autonomy.

Keywords:
Doctor Robotartificial intelligenceclinicaldoctor–patient relationshipempathymoral

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Area of Science:

  • Bioethics
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Medical Ethics

Background:

  • Concerns exist that clinical artificial intelligence (AI) may dehumanize the doctor-patient relationship (DPR) by removing moral empathy.
  • The benefits of clinical empathy are often praised without critical examination of its potential downsides.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue that criticisms of clinical AI based on empathy are misplaced.
  • To highlight the inherent biases and negative impacts of empathy on the DPR.
  • To propose ethical considerations for AI systems exhibiting affective behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical and psychological research analysis.
  • Ethical argumentation regarding empathy's role in clinical decision-making.
  • Review of existing literature on AI in healthcare and affective computing.

Main Results:

  • Empathy can lead to biased reasoning, partial judgments, and asymmetric DPRs.
  • These biases can undermine patient autonomy and equality in treatment.
  • Sympathy and compassion may offer a more balanced approach than empathy in clinical settings.

Conclusions:

  • Appeals to empathy as a reason to reject clinical AI are flawed due to empathy's inherent biases.
  • Future affective AI systems require ethical scaffolding to mitigate potential harms.
  • A balanced approach, possibly incorporating sympathy and compassion, is preferable for AI in healthcare.