When Voice Becomes Biomarker: Examining the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of AI-Based Technology for Voice Biomarker
Saturday, October 14, 2023
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM ET
Location: Heron (Fourth Floor)
The use of AI-based technology that use voice data as a biomarker for health diagnosis and prediction is developing rapidly. However, it raises significant ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) along the technology development continuum: from design (data collection to AI algorithm training) to its clinical applications. This paper presents the results of a scoping review that aims to identify and map the key discourse regarding ELSIs of voice data as a health biomarker. It was conducted by searching several databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The search yielded a total of 24 relevant articles and a snowball was made from these papers. The sample was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results of the scoping review identified several key themes including privacy and data protection, informed consent, ethical and legal responsibilities of different stakeholders, bias and discrimination and clinical and technical challenges. Of our knowledge, this paper provides a first-ever comprehensive overview of the development of AI-based technology that uses voice data as a biomarker for health. The findings of this scoping review have significant implications for the bioethics community. Given the increasing popularity and potential of voice AI technologies in healthcare, it is essential for the bioethics community to engage in its normative governance. This paper provides a foundation to critically examine these issues. Ultimately, it is only through interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement that the development of trustworthy and ethical voice AI technology can be ensured, benefiting both patients and healthcare systems as a whole.
Sarah Bouhouita-Guermech, MA – Faculty of Health Sciences – Simon Fraser University; Quang Huynh – Faculty of Arts – Simon Fraser University; Jean-Christophe Bélisle-Pipon, PhD – Assistant Professor, Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University; Vardit Ravitsky, PhD – Professor, School of Public Health, University of Montreal; Yael Bensoussan, MD MSc FRCSC – Assistant Professor, College of Medicine Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, University of South Florida