Ethical Considerations for Learning to Use Artificial Intelligence in Qualitative Health Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly expanding in qualitative health research and often promise improved efficiency or novel discoveries. However, this promise has yet to be realized, and further, serious ethical issues emerge ranging from the use of AI videoconferencing technologies to conduct interviews, AI transcription services, and AI-augmented qualitative analysis tools. These ethical dilemmas are not always obvious and require careful consideration of the ramifications of integrating these technologies in the research process. These concerns are relevant to all stages of research experience ranging from emerging scholars to more practiced researchers but are particularly significant in training new scholars who are early adopters of AI technologies. To trace the ethical issues surrounding AI in the practice of qualitative health research, we map the specific values of autonomy, privacy, validity, and equity to highlight decision points and provide a framework for navigating ethical use of the AI tools.