In this article, we describe a case study that explores the ethical and legal issues relating to the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced coding in bioinformatics and related life science research. Using this case study, we highlight the potential dangers posed by the introduction of AI-assisted coding in programming and analysis of health data. The aim is to understand and consider the potential harms it poses and to help students and young researchers on how to use AI responsibly in their work. Recent developments in generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and the emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs)-based chatbots such as Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) launched by OpenAI on November 30, 2022 are currently matter of many debates mainly about AI-generated scientific research and publications. Several scientists, editors, and publishers disapproved that ChatGPT made its way into scientific production by being listed as a co-author. Programming is another domain where LLMs-based chatbots have proven immense potential. These AI systems have the ability to assist human programmers at different stages, including writing and debugging code. The rapid development of AI and related emerging technologies and its wide deployment in different domains, including life-science research gives rise to multiple ethical, legal and technical considerations. We designed the present case study to describe a plausible situation in biomedical research, and to elucidate some legal and ethical issues resulting from the introduction of AI in life-science research.
Search engines influence the content users access and interact with. This case study investigates the ethical implications of gender bias in search engine algorithms through a fictional scenario involving the widely-used search engine, "Searchandfind." The study highlights the experiences of three individuals, each encountering biased search results that reinforce gender stereotypes. The analysis explores the technical, ethical, and societal dimensions of these biases, emphasizing the necessity for fairness, inclusivity, and transparency in AI systems. Practical approaches to mitigate gender bias, such as data diversification, algorithmic transparency, and regular audits, are explored. Additionally, the study prompts reflection on the broader impact of biased AI on professional and personal spheres, highlighting the ethical responsibility of tech companies to develop and deploy unbiased AI systems. This examination serves as a resource for understanding and addressing the pervasive issue of gender bias in AI-driven platforms.
This fictional case study examines the question of whether a personal conversational agent/advisor called iSoph, encoding extensive personal information and having a fluent natural language interface, may raise privacy harms that are normally thought to attend to personal relationships, as opposed to harms associated with institutional databases and big data analytics. The case stipulates that (i) iSoph collects extensive personal data about its users from multiple, multimodal sources, (ii) can make inferences from this data in combination with its models, but (ii) cannot share information with its developer or any third party. It is shown that despite condition (iii), iSoph raises privacy risks. These privacy risks are of the type associated with personal relationships and direct observation. iSoph raises these risks because, as an advanced conversational agent, it is able to evoke anthropomorphizing responses from its users in ways that they are not fully conscious of or able to control.
"Moral imagination" is the capacity to register that one's perspective on a decision-making situation is limited, and to imagine alternative perspectives that reveal new considerations or approaches. We have developed a Moral Imagination approach that aims to drive a culture of responsible innovation, ethical awareness, deliberation, decision-making, and commitment in organizations developing new technologies. We here present a case study that illustrates one key aspect of our approach - the technomoral scenario - as we have applied it in our work with product and engineering teams. Technomoral scenarios are fictional narratives that raise ethical issues surrounding the interaction between emerging technologies and society. Through facilitated roleplaying and discussion, participants are prompted to examine their own intentions, articulate justifications for actions, and consider the impact of decisions on various stakeholders. This process helps developers to reenvision their choices and responsibilities, ultimately contributing to a culture of responsible innovation.
