Pope Leo XIV: Human Dignity Must Be Respected When Integrating AI in Healthcare

An Ethical Perspective on AI in Healthcare

At Monday's meeting with ALAMI (Latin American Association of Percentage System of Private Health Care), Pope Leo XIV asked those who attended to consider the need for a new ethical perspective because of the rapid developments in technology and advances in healthcare as well as the development of a new kind of ethical foundation for these fields through digital media.

The assembly is convened in Rome for its ninth Seminar on Ethics in Health Management, conducted under the auspices of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

In his homily the Pope made clear that this conference is a "pilgrimage"; that is, when we reflect upon the ethical dimensions of our proposals, we will reach an important milestone on this pilgrimage together as a Church and society.

The Risks of AI Bias in Medicine

He acknowledged the breadth of experience of all attendees and said that the church welcomes all attendees as "people of hope" due to their unique talents, experience and aspirations, as they work together to help the ill. He advised: be careful not to allow artificial intelligence to foster potential ethical bias and to be aware of the potential ethical pitfalls of the use of such technologies in health care. Pope Francis discussed how technological progress within health care presents significant challenges due to the inappropriate use of the technology for the health care community by creating new forms of discrimination that may be difficult to identify.

Additionally, he noted that utilizing technology in order to change people’s behaviour can create a significant risk of creating one’s own perceived biases against a person thus leading to unethical treatment toward that same person within societies. Additionally; Pope Francis stated that powerful forms of digital technology may be used as “tools through which it is possible for an individual or group to exploit others or societies” which in turn produces a unique level of “subtle biases” seen through two different dimensions: in how we present information and how we interact with others.

In his comments, he made a statement about the possibility of treating persons as an 'object' or 'data' or 'an entity' without treating the person as an individual raises a major concern regarding the distortions we will create when we treat someone (e.g., how the treatment will be directed towards them), all of which will contribute to a negative view on that person, such as how they will be viewed based solely on the available treatments and/or the 'value or cost' that society places on those treatments. The perspective on treating other persons from a point of view of human dignity as a basic principle is based on this belief.

Solidarity, Common Good, and Compassion

In an effort to reconcile those conflicting tendencies among healthcare providers, Pope Leo XIV encouraged them to take a broader, more common perspective based on solidarity and the common good. He said that, in order to accomplish this undertaking, it will be necessary to avoid reductionist thinking, stating, "To change your vision.... If I can say so, looking like God will require that you not only see the immediate gain but also what is best for all."

Pope Francis reminded all of us to be careful not to allow new technology to cause us to lose our ability to connect with one another in meaningful ways. “A broader perspective will always encompass a focus on who we are as human beings using technology, and how we express our humanity to one another through compassionate action, and recognizing each person has their individual dignity and vulnerability,” said Pope Francis. The Holy Father's intention is for health care managers to utilize this perspective as a guiding principle when administering their organizations.