Informed Consent In Ai-Assisted Surgery: Rethinking Patient Autonomy And Liability In Robotic Healthcare

Abstract

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in surgical practice, especially robotic-assisted surgery, is revolutionizing the field of contemporary healthcare by making it more precise, efficient, and clinically effective. Nonetheless, this technological development poses important legal and ethical issues concerning the doctrine of informed consent and the maintenance of autonomy in patients. Conventional theories of informed consent assume that informed consent is based on the disclosure of material risks, benefits, and options by a human surgeon. In AI-assisted surgery, the decision-making process is being mediated more by complex opaque algorithmic systems, further questioning the sufficiency of the current disclosure standards and put the current legal regime of informed consent to the test.