Ethical and regulatory challenges of large language models in medicine.

Journal: The Lancet. Digital health
PMID: 38658283

Abstract

With the rapid growth of interest in and use of large language models (LLMs) across various industries, we are facing some crucial and profound ethical concerns, especially in the medical field. The unique technical architecture and purported emergent abilities of LLMs differentiate them substantially from other artificial intelligence (AI) models and natural language processing techniques used, necessitating a nuanced understanding of LLM ethics. In this Viewpoint, we highlight ethical concerns stemming from the perspectives of users, developers, and regulators, notably focusing on data privacy and rights of use, data provenance, intellectual property contamination, and broad applications and plasticity of LLMs. A comprehensive framework and mitigating strategies will be imperative for the responsible integration of LLMs into medical practice, ensuring alignment with ethical principles and safeguarding against potential societal risks.

Authors

  • Jasmine Chiat Ling Ong
    Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
  • Shelley Yin-Hsi Chang
    Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
  • Wasswa William
    Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
  • Atul J Butte
    Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
  • Nigam H Shah
    Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
  • Lita Sui Tjien Chew
    Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Health Services, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Council Office, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.
  • Nan Liu
    Duke-NUS Medical School Centre for Quantitative Medicine Singapore Singapore.
  • Finale Doshi-Velez
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
  • Wei Lu
    Department of Pharmacy, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
  • Julian Savulescu
    2Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
  • Daniel Shu Wei Ting
    Singapore National Eye Center, Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore Health Service Singapore Singapore.

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