Author Meets Critics Session
Professor Gouveia’s talk will be followed by three short critical commentaries, as well as his response. General discussion to follow.
Time: Monday, September 15, 11:00–13:00
Title
Putting Health First: an Ethical Argument for Prioritizing Medical AI Over Other Technological Developments
Abstract
This chapter develops an ethical argument that supports the thesis that the development of Medical Artificial Intelligence (MAI) should be prioritized over other applications of Artificial Intelligence: unlike applications focused on convenience, consumer preferences, or financial efficiency, MAI focuses in urgent global health challenges by offering scalable solutions that can reduce suffering, save lives, and mitigate healthcare inequalities. Based in the moral reasoning of Effective Altruism, the chapter argues that directing resources toward MAI development is not only justified but morally imperative, given its potential for high-impact outcomes in both developed and underserved regions. Through a comparative analysis, we show that while other AI sectors (such as autonomous vehicles, financial AI, and e-commerce) offer some societal benefits, but they lack the immediacy and global importance that healthcare technologies have. Finally, the chapter considers common objections to the prioritization thesis, such as the challenges of implementing MAI, being support by a problematic ethical framework (Effective Altruism), or concerns over resource misallocation. We argue that these critiques fail to challenge the fundamental ethical rationale: that MAI possesses an exceptional capacity to achieve a moral obligation, that is, to alleviate human suffering where it is both urgent and tractable. If we can primarily focus our limited resources in development and use of MAI, society we will be able to provide high-quality care to populations that have been historically marginalized or underserved and, at the same time, increasing the healthcare services of populations from developed countries.
About Steven
Steven S. Gouveia is a Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in (Neuro)Philosophy of Mind from the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal), having been a visiting researcher at the Minds, Brain Imaging & Neuroethics at the Royal Institute of Mental Health, University of Ottawa, Canada (PI: Georg Northoff).
He was a Researcher Fellow of the Centre for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Project UIDB/00683/2020 funded by FCT) (2022-2023). Currently, he is leading a 6-year project on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (CEECIND.02527.2022) being a Researcher Fellow of the Mind, Language and Action Group at the Institute of Philosophy, University of Porto.
Since June 2023, he has been an Honorary Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, University Andrés Bello, Viña Del Mar, Chile (alongside Nobel Laureate Sir Roger Penrose).