Experts discuss the impact of the use of artificial intelligence on the fundamental right of access to health and on the management of health crises
The scientific event "AI and crisis management in the field of health and beyond: the pandemic experience" will bring together national and international law experts on 16 and 17 May, with the participation of around 30 judges from several European countries.
On the 16th and 17th of May, the University of Coimbra (UC) will host the scientific event 'AI and crisis management in the field of health and beyond: the pandemic experience.'
The meeting will bring together to Colégio da Trindade, in Coimbra, national and international experts in the field of Law, including judges, former judges, prosecutors, representatives of the European Commission, IT engineers, and university professors. Approximately 30 judges from different European countries will participate in the two-day event, featuring various activities such as lectures and workshops.
"The event will address the opportunities and risks of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. These systems have the potential to personalise and improve healthcare, enabling better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. However, they also pose risks such as opacity in decision-making, discrimination based on individual characteristics, or intrusion into the private lives of citizens during health crises. This will be discussed from the perspective of the fundamental right to access to health care and the management of health crises," explains Sandra Passinhas, Professor at the UC Faculty of Law (FDUC) and one of the organisers.
The expery hopes that this event may have an impact “on how judges analyse the influence of artificial intelligence on public administration decisions and the challenges that such influence poses for the respect of fundamental rights”. She also expects the event to “contribute to defining the issues raised by the use of artificial intelligence by private actors in the health sector, in particular health professionals, in making decisions about patients (e.g. the ideal treatment for each person) and its impact on fundamental rights, including data protection and non-discrimination”.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has raised several questions about the impact of AI, particularly the use of patient triage algorithms that analyse both pre-existing conditions and current symptoms (cough, pain, temperature, etc.) to prioritise patients and support organisational planning and management in resource-constrained emergency services," says Sandra Passinhas.
This initiative is part of the European research project Justice, Fundamental Rights and Artificial Intelligence (JuLIA), which aims to analyse the impact of artificial intelligence on fundamental rights in different contexts, including courts and other public and private institutions. It aims to develop guidelines for the use of AI, to ensure data protection and non-discrimination, in particular concerning judicial, administrative, health and consumer rights. JuLIA is led by Pompeu Fabra University (Spain) and coordinated in Portugal by the UC.
The FDUC professor stresses the need to support judges in this area: “Soon, courts will have to strike a balance in various contexts: the evaluation of evidence in legal proceedings, the judicial control of public administration decisions, and liability cases involving the use of algorithmic decision-making in the medical sector”.
More information about the project and the event can be found at www.julia-project.eu/.