Artificial Intelligence in Reproductive Medicine – An Ethical Perspective

Vasilija Rolfes; Uta Bittner; Helene Gerhards; Jan-Steffen Krüssel; Tanja Fehm; Robert Ranisch; Heiner Fangerau

doi:10.1055/a-1866-2792

Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2023; 83(01): 106-115
DOI: 10.1055/a-1866-2792

GebFra Science

Original Article

Artificial Intelligence in Reproductive Medicine – An Ethical Perspective

Article in several languages: English | deutsch

Vasilija Rolfes

¹Institut für Geschichte, Theorie und Ethik der Medizin, Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN9170)

,

Uta Bittner

¹Institut für Geschichte, Theorie und Ethik der Medizin, Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN9170)

²Institut für Sozialforschung und Technikfolgenabschätzung, Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN84614)

,

Helene Gerhards

²Institut für Sozialforschung und Technikfolgenabschätzung, Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN84614)

,

Jan-Steffen Krüssel

³Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universitäres interdisziplinäres Kinderwunschzentrum Düsseldorf, Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

,

Tanja Fehm

⁴Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

,

Robert Ranisch

⁵Juniorprofessur für Medizinische Ethik mit Schwerpunkt auf Digitalisierung, Universität Potsdam, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften Brandenburg, Potsdam, Germany

⁶Forschungsstelle „Ethik der Genom-Editierung“, Institut für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen Medizinische Fakultät, Tübingen, Germany

,

Heiner Fangerau

¹Institut für Geschichte, Theorie und Ethik der Medizin, Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN9170)

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is steadily being integrated into all areas of medicine. In reproductive medicine, artificial intelligence methods can be utilized to improve the selection and prediction of sperm cells, oocytes, and embryos and to generate better predictive models for in vitro fertilization. The use of artificial intelligence in this field is justified by the suffering of persons or couples who wish to have children but are unable to conceive. However, research into the use of artificial intelligence in reproductive medicine is still in the early experimental stage and furthermore raises complex normative questions. There are ethical research challenges because evidence of the efficacy of certain pertinent systems is often lacking and because of the increased difficulty of ensuring informed consent on the part of the affected persons. Other ethically relevant issues include the potential risks for offspring and the difficulty of providing sufficient information. The opportunity to fulfill the desire to have children affects the welfare of patients and their reproductive autonomy. Ultimately, ensuring more accurate predictions and allowing physicians to devote more time to their patients will have a positive effect. Nevertheless, clinicians must be able to process patient data conscientiously. When using artificial intelligence, numerous actors are involved in making the diagnosis and deciding on the appropriate therapy, raising questions about who is ultimately responsible when mistakes occur. Questions of fairness arise with regard to resource allocation and cost reimbursement. Thus, before implementing artificial intelligence in clinical practice, it is necessary to critically examine the quantity and quality of the data used and to address issues of transparency. In the medium and long term, it would be necessary to confront the undesirable impact and social dynamics that may accompany the use of artificial intelligence in reproductive medicine.

Keywords

artificial intelligence - reproductive medicine - infertility - medical ethics - research ethics

Full Text

References

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