Ethical Considerations of Artificial Intelligence in Dementia Research: A Review of Reviews

To examine the ethical considerations related to artificial intelligence technologies in dementia across diagnostic, management, and to synthesize these considerations using existing artificial intelligence and bioethical ethics principles.

The review of reviews synthesized evidence from published reviews addressing ethical considerations in published review-level evidence on ethical issues related to artificial intelligence for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Findings were extracted and narratively synthesized. Ethical issues were mapped to the four UNESCO value domains and four traditional bioethical principles to provide an interpretive framework.

Eighteen reviews were included. Ethical concerns were related to algorithmic bias, limited diverse data, privacy, data security, data governance, fairness, and psychosocioeconomic and environmental well-being, and caregiving contexts. Based on UNESCO's four domains, six themes were identified: protection of human rights, technical trustworthiness, respect for human dignity, equity and access, governance, and environmental well-being. Ethical concerns prioritized the respect and protection of human rights and dignity, whereas environmental and ecosystem considerations were under focused. While many categories aligned with the traditional bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, some concerns related to environmental well-being and data governance were difficult to classify within this framework.

Our findings highlight the importance of embedding ethical principles in individual-level and system-level design implications to support the ethical and sustainable use of artificial intelligence in dementia care. This review will help healthcare professionals understand and address the ethical considerations in various dementia care settings where artificial intelligence is introduced or evaluated.