Healthcare AI Ethics and Patient and Public Engagement: An Science and Technology Studies (STS) Perspective

This article discusses Junhewk Kim’s “Patient and Public Involvement Model in Healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) Ethics.” I focus on two key aspects of Kim’s argument: the particularity of healthcare AI research compared to traditional medical research, and the exclusive legitimacy of patients and citizens as the subjects of external validation. I contend that Kim’s current reasoning does not elucidate the unique nature of big data in healthcare AI and risks limiting the democratic potential of participatory models. The field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), which explores the relationship between science and society, could help to strengthen Kim’s argument by providing a more focused analysis of big data and citizen participation. I conclude that although public involvement is a procedural condition for creating ethical healthcare AI, it is not sufficient on its own to render healthcare AI ethical. The realization of ethical healthcare AI depends on fostering robust interactions among patients, citizens, and experts that go beyond individualistic notions of privacy and ownership and challenge the rigid divide between healthcare professionals and laypeople.