The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released the country’s first ‘Ethical Guidelines for Application of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Research and Healthcare’, aimed at creating “an ethics framework which can assist in the development, deployment, and adoption of AI-based solutions” in the fields specified.
Through this, they hope to make “AI-assisted platforms available for the benefit of largest section of common people with safety and highest precision possible,” while also addressing emerging ethical challenges when it comes to Artificial Intelligence in biomedical research and healthcare delivery.
The document, prepared by the Department of Health Research and the ICMR Artificial Intelligence Cell, Delhi, will be updated as and when the need arises, said a senior Health Ministry official.
Developed through extensive discussions with experts and ethicists, the guidelines include sections on ethical principles, guiding principles for stakeholders, an ethics review process, governance of AI usage, and informed consent.
“It [the document] is intended for all stakeholders involved in research on AI in biomedical research and healthcare, including creators, developers, researchers, clinicians, ethics committees, institutions, sponsors, and funding organisations,” said Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director-General, ICMR. As per the guidelines, the ethical review process for artificial intelligence in health comes under the domain of the ethics committee.
The document notes that the regulation of AI technologies in healthcare is still in its nascent stage even in developed countries.
