Konferenz: New Talks in the Lunch Series „Ethics-AI-Health“

19.09.-21.-11.2024 Online.

Lunch Series „Ethics-AI-Health“

Time: 19^th September to 21^st November 2024 (Dates below)
Venue: Online

Organization: Chair of Social Ethics & Ethics of Technology, University Bonn in collaboration with the Transdisciplinary Research Area „Life & Health“ (TRA 3, University of Bonn) and the CRC EmpkinS

Each month international experts from a variety of fields share their cutting-edge research. Enjoy your lunch and a 30-minute presentation, followed by 30 minutes of stimulating discussion and Q&A. The organizers are very happy to welcome Jantina de Vries ( September 19), Nathalie Smuha (October 10), Brian Earp ( November 7) and Bjoern Eskofier (November 21).

On September 19 (12.30-1.30 pm, Online), Jantina de Vries will talk about “Opportunities and challenges for Ethics, AI and Health in South Africa“
Jantina de Vries is Director of the Ethics Lab and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town. The Ethics Lab cultivates convivial scholarship for a more just world and fosters transformative ethics scholarship that centres Africa as the context and driver for global health ethics. Jantina is a leading expert in the ethics of African genomics research. She was a member of the WHO Genome Editing Expert Advisory Committee, founding Chair of the H3Africa Working Group on Ethics, and is currently a member of the Ethics Board of Médecins Sans Frontières and the Steering Committee of the Global Forum for Bioethics in Research. Her work is widely cited and has informed the development of guidelines for genomics research across the African continent.

On October 10 (2.00-3.00 pm, online), Nathalie Smuha speaks about “The ethics of AI-therapists”
The talk will address the increasing use of AI chatbots in therapeutic contexts, where they will provide both emotional support and more in-depth help for mental health issues. As more people will turn to chatbots due to the global shortage of mental health professionals and the high cost of care, some will form emotional attachments to these bots. While chatbots will be seen as a potential solution to the growing mental health crisis, their use will also raise significant ethical concerns. The talk will explore these dilemmas and discuss the key questions society should consider before fully embracing AI therapists.

On November 7 (12.30-1.30 pm, Hybrid), Brian Earp speaks about “Digital Doppelgangers in Healthcare: From Substituted Judgment to “Life” Extension”
This talk will explore the potential of fine-tuning large language models (LLMs), like Chat GPT, to create ‚digital doppelgangers‘ or ‚digital twins‘ by encoding a person’s preferences and values. This personalized LLM could be used as a ‚personalized patient preference predictor‘ (P4) to assist in proxy decision-making for individuals who are incapacitated. The speaker will discuss further applications of such personalized models, especially in the context of life-extension projects. While a digital twin may not extend biological life or consciousness, it could help fulfill aims like leaving a legacy or preserving important relationships. The talk will also address ethical concerns and consider objections to these ideas.

On November 21 (12.30-1.30 pm, Hybrid), Bjoern Eskofier speaks about “AI for Future Healthcare”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will play an increasingly important role in medicine, driven by the growing availability of digital data. Despite their potential to deliver more objective, precise, and personalized diagnoses and care, this potential has not yet been fully realized due to the lack of interoperability within current healthcare data infrastructures. One proposed solution is the development of „personal health dataspaces,“ which will place individuals at the center of health data. This approach will open up new opportunities for AI-driven healthcare systems and could help achieve more accurate and personalized medical decisions in the future.

For biographies of the speakers and more information see here.
Registerhere.