Artificial Intelligence should only benefit humankind, and there should be a greater involvement of youth, who will be working on its applications in the future said Pro-Chancellor, (Academics), SRM Institute of Science and Technology Dr. P.Sathyanarayanan.
Delivering his Presidential Address at an International Bioethics Workshop on Connect with Artificial Intelligence (AI), he said that since the dawn of civilisation, humankind was faced with the daunting challenges to distinguish good from bad, right from wrong, ethical from unethical. “Great minds in the world of science and technology have been cautioning about the use of AI. Any application of AI should be used only for the benefit of human kind and not for anything else,” Dr. Sathyanarayanan remarked.
Work towards a responsible future:
Lauding institutions and people for coming together to organise the workshop, Dr. Sathyaranayan said the event could not have been hosted at a more appropriate time. The world was currently witnessing great technological advancements especially in the areas of sophisticated areas like AI. At the current juncture, bringing together experts from medicine, science, engineering, management and law was a good steps towards a responsible future.
Secretary General of International Council of Global Network for Medical, Health Professionals & Bioethics Education, Dr. Vedprakash Mishra in his inaugural address, said the field of medicine mandated empathy, socialisation, humanisation, touch, apart from artistic and scientific contributions. With advancements in medical technology and greater role of robotics in healthcare, accountability assumed a huge role The three-day workshop – Connect AI – Collaborative Opportunity to Navigate and Negotiate Ethical Challenges and Trials with Artificial Intelligence, is organised jointly by SRMIST, and The International Department of Education – International Chair in Bioethics. . Mr. Mishra added that all stakeholders in this area should take a holistic view of AI, its advantages and disadvantages, and the ethical conundrums of its applications. With AI becoming an inevitable element in medical treatment, its concerns and challenges should be deliberated in detail.
In his keynote address, Head and Chair of the Department of Education International Program and International Chair in Bioethics, Prof. Russell Franco D’Souza said the coming together an inter-disciplinary gathering was very important and that a lot could be achieved by people coming together instead of working in silos. While AI had changed the entire landscape of healthcare, with better innovation and precision in diagnosis, and management, some of the daunting challenges need to be addressed, Prof. D’Souza added.
Head, Indian Program and Secretary General Association of Medical Education of India,Prof. Mary Mathew outlined the core objectives of the workshop and how the deliberations would be taken forward.
Earlier, while welcoming the gathering, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Medical and Health Sciences), Dr. Lt. Col. A.Ravikumar, said the workshop will explore the impact of AI in healthcare, apart from offering a glimpse into the wide realm of Bioethics. This was among the few occasions where practitioners from diverse fields – medicine, engineering, management, and law on a single platform to deliberate a crucial aspect of healthcare. Dean SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Prof. Nitin M. Nagarkar thanked the gathering.
The key objectives of the workshop include:
• Enhancing awareness on the ethical implications of AI in Healthcare Technology
• Exploring relevant Ethical Frameworks and Principles.
• Addressing specific challenges in AI-driven Healthcare systems.
• Fostering critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills
• Promoting responsible and evidence-informed AI implementation
Faculty from medical, dentistry, nursing, allied Health Sciences, engineering, and law took part in the workshop, organized to create a deep understanding of ethical issues surrounding AI and health. Faculty, researchers, scholars, experts, and leaders of global and national institutions working in the sphere of medical education, made their presentations and moderated sessions on a range of topics including AI’ impact on healthcare, ethical conundrums of AI’s implications in healthcare, technology, and research, balancing human judgment and AI recommendations in decision-making, evidence-informed best practices and guidelines, and action planning for responsible AI among others.