Deepening the debate about the ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare will be one of the areas of focus at the seventh edition of the biennial global gathering of healthcare experts hosted by World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH 2024), an initiative of Qatar Foundation, taking place on November 13-14.
AI, according to Dr Mohammed Ghaly, professor of Islam and Biomedical Ethics at the Research Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, is one of the most important stages in the progress of today’s civilisation.
“Given the diversity of its applications that have revolutionised the world of technology, AI is as important as the discovery of books, printing, digitisation, or even the Internet,” he said. “It is a historical aspect of technological progress that will forever characterise our current era.”
One of the reports being released at the summit is titled ‘AI and Healthcare Ethics: Islamic Perspectives on Medical Accountability’. It examines how AI technologies can enhance diagnosis, treatment, and overall patient care, as well as exploring the ethical challenges presented by AI – especially in the context of medical accountability, as discussed in Western bioethical literature.
Maha El Akoum, acting director, Research and Policy at WISH – who, along with Dr Ghaly is one of the main authors of the WISH report – said: “As AI technologies become integral to diagnosis, treatment, and patient care, we must ensure that these innovations uphold ethical standards that protect patient dignity and rights.
“Islamic bioethics provides a valuable framework for examining the moral responsibilities of healthcare providers, developers, and institutions. By engaging with these ethical principles, we can foster a deeper understanding of how to implement AI in ways that are responsible and equitable.”
El Akoum says WISH recognises that, as AI continues to reshape healthcare, it is crucial to address the ethical implications that accompany this transformation. According to her, this focus on Islamic ethics and accountability is not only timely, but essential for promoting trust in healthcare systems, particularly in regions where cultural values play a significant role in health decision-making.
Dr Ghaly is clear that the role of AI in health, for all its potential benefits, also creates concerns – particularly relating to responsible use.
“Many AI models in healthcare provide highly accurate and reliable outcomes, such as assisting in diagnosis and analysing medical images, robotic-assisted surgery, and providing medical analysis results,” he said. “However, the complex disagreement lies in the difficulty of understanding or explaining the internal steps which lead AI to produce these results.”
In the context of Islam and Shariah science, Dr Ghaly said: “The basic principle is that it is forbidden to attack the body because it is the creation of God; and, accordingly, it is not permissible to interfere with the body except for an acceptable Shariah reason based on medical knowledge.”
He explained that medical responsibility in Islam is based on three elements. God, as the body’s creator; the patient, who is entrusted with authority over their body; and the doctor, who intervenes in the body based on the approval of God and the patient.
The challenge regarding AI in healthcare, Dr Ghaly emphasised, is its reliance on available data and the extent of its reliability, diversity, and comprehensiveness. “The most important development AI has brought about in healthcare,” he added, “is that medical responsibility has shifted from being an individual responsibility, mostly borne by the physician, to a joint responsibility involving parties who previously had no role in medical decisions – data scientists, programmers.”
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