Meaningful Human Control over AI for Health? A Review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is currently changing many areas of society. Especially in health, where critical decisions are made, questions of control must be renegotiated: who is in control when an automated system makes clinically relevant decisions? Increasingly, the concept of meaningful human control (MHC) is being invoked for this purpose. However, it is unclear exactly how this concept is to be understood in health. Through a systematic review, we present the current state of the concept of MHC in health. The results show that there is not yet a robust MHC concept for health. We propose a broader understanding of MHC along three strands of action: enabling, exercising and evaluating control. Taking into account these strands of action and the established rules and processes in the different health sectors, the MHC concept needs to be further developed to avoid falling into two gaps, which we have described as theoretical and labelling gaps.

Towards an Ethics for the Healthcare Metaverse

“…If the ethical challenges of the healthcare metaverse parallel those of digital medicine, only amplified by the metaverse's immersivity, it seems logical to approach ethics for the healthcare metaverse from the perspective of digital medicine. Consequently, we should reevaluate approaches and principles from the ethics of digital medicine, such as data sovereignty [58,59], explainability [60], or meaningful human control [61][62][63], in light of the immersive aspect.…”

“…We concluded that the next logical steps must involve careful consideration of the concept of embodiment within immersive environments. By leveraging these insights, there is an opportunity to advance existing ethical principles in digital medicine, including but not limited to sovereignty [58,59], explainability [60], or meaningful human control [61][62][63].…”

Large Language Models in Oncology: Revolution or Cause for Concern?

“…The levels of automation of LLMs in oncology can potentially range from providing contextual information as a clinical support tool to the direct management of oncological conditions without oversight. Thus, it will be key for relevant stakeholders to address future frameworks to integrate the concept of meaningful human control alongside comprehensive legislation in order to ensure the ethical use of automated systems, such as LLMs, in oncological practice and beyond [85].…”

Potential Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Disaster Risk and Emergency Health Management: A Critical Appraisal on Environmental Health

“…AI is a field of computer science that have been designed to acquire the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programed to think and learn and the machine is capable of performing the tasks typically as human intelligence. 11 AI plays a vital role in reduction and management of health risk. Over the past 20 years, the rate of negative impact and severity on public health as well as economic loss from natural disasters like floods, drought, earthquakes, heavy rainfall, heat waves, and tsunamis have significantly increased.…”