Author: Amelia Fiske, Peter Henningsen, Alena Buyx
Publisher: National Library of Medicine
Publication Year: 2019
Summary: The following article discusses the promising area of embodied artificial intelligence (AI) (the science and engineering of intelligent machines with a physical or virtual embodiment) in the area of mental health care. The authors discuss how the technology can benefit traditionally underserved areas while giving patients a better experience. However, giving a robot a face and allowing it to operate independently of any clinical oversight necessitates a code of ethics and constant ethical evaluation. Further analysis of the implications of this technology is necessary. The authors discuss data privacy concerns, as well as the ethics of the creation and training of the AI bot, and the ways in which the training can be biased and cause harm.