Artificial Intelligence in healthcare

Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 10:32:52 +0000

full image

Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward

RECIPES Dissemination Conference

On May 11, the RECIPES project has held its dissemination conference “Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward”.

At the conference, the RECIPES project presented and discussed some of the ideas on how to improve the use of the precautionary principle that were developed in consultation with several stakeholders at various points during the project period (the RECIPES guidance). The conference brought together around 90 participants from a range of different actor groups including several of those who had participated in one or more of the RECIPES workshops. The conference was carried out in hybrid format, so the participants joined it onsite or online.

Several of the speakers and panellists stressed that the topicality of the precautionary principle has increased in the past, e.g., due to the increasing transgression of planetary boundaries. They considered the principle to be even more important in the future. They appreciated that the RECIPES guidance reconfirms the importance of the precautionary principle and reinstates its innovative potential, especially by stressing its dual role as a legal principle and safeguard and as a policy principle and compass. They identified the RECIPES guidance as a timely document.

It was emphasised that the use of the precautionary principle requires political discussions at all levels (local, regional, national, EU, global). These would need to open up complex issues to the wider public, involve the knowledge and perspectives of a wide diversity of actors, and deal with (uncertain) risks as well as (uncertain) benefits, and address questions such as “(uncertain) risks and potentially serious harm for whom?” and “(uncertain) benefits for whom?” and “what are sustainable and public-interest-oriented pathways out of interlinked multiple crises such as climate change and loss of biodiversity?”.

It was highlighted that recent reports by IPBES, IPCC and UNEP, CBD and WHO on biodiversity, climate change and environment, agree that solutions for these wicked challenges of a systemic nature, characterized by uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguities, can only be achieved by systemic, multidimensional, cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and participative approaches. The benefit of the precautionary principle would be that it enables solutions for (uncertain) risks in a systemic way that not simply shifts responsibility to the individual level.

For more information, you can find the programme of the conference HERE and the presentations held at the conference below. Moreover, you can find statements by some panellists below (the panellists were not asked to provide a written statement but some have made it available to the RECIPES team).

Welcome note by the coordinator: Guidance for the future use of the precautionary principle, Ellen Vos & Kristel de Smedt (University of Maastricht)
The RECIPES engagement approach: Reaching out to society and policy for developing the guidance - Aske Palsberg & Niels-Kristian Tjelle Holm (The Danish Board of Technology Foundation)
Discussion input no. 1 from the RECIPES guidance: The precautionary principle works best in a double role: safeguard and compass - Tijs Sikma (Rathenau Institute)
Discussion input no. 2 from the RECIPES guidance: The precautionary principle is a knowledge and participation issue - Jeroen van der Sluijs (University of Bergen) and Pia-Johanna Schweizer (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies)
Intervention by Christine von Weizsäcker
Intervention by Carolina Vigo

In the videos below Christine von Weizsächer and Nina Holland, RECIPES Advisory Board Members, offer their perspectives on the RECIPES project, during the final conference held in May 2022:

Organiser

Dialogik, DBT, IASS, UM, Ecologic Institute with support from KNAW, UiB, K&I and ARC

Contact

Dr. Marion Dreyer, Dialogik

Email: dreyer@dialogik-expert.de

Themes

Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, CRISPR-based gene drives, Endocrine disruptors, Environment, Financial risks and urban waste planning, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), Glyphosate, Health, Innovation, Microplastics, Nanotechnologies, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia, Industry & Business, Funding Sources & Finance, NGOs & Associations, Citizens & Civil Society Organisations

RECIPES Event

Event Date

11 May 2022

Location

Hybrid Format: Online & Brussels

Language

English

European Policy Workshop: “Precaution for responsible innovation”

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 18:26:38 +0000

full image

European Policy Workshop: “Precaution for responsible innovation”

On February 22 and 23, the RECIPES project will organize the European Policy Workshop: “Precaution for responsible innovation”.

The workshop aims to review the pre-final version of the RECIPES guidance on how to ensure the PP’s ability to drive responsible innovation. It will take place online and will address, as main target groups, EU policy makers, European agencies, EU policy support organizations and bodies and similar experts.

Participants will have the chance to discuss a pre-final version of the RECIPES guidance (Sent in advance to registered guests). A series of Break-out sessions taking place on both days will allow participants to discuss the guidance to further improve its clarity, plausibility, policy relevance and future-orientation, as well as to brainstorm on the exploitation of the document.

For more information, you can find the programme of the Workshop HERE.

The workshop will be moderated by the RECIPES partners.

Organiser

Dialogik, DBT, IASS with support from UM, KNAW, UiB, K&A and ARC

Contact

Frank Dratsdrummer, Doalogik

Email: dratsdrummer@dialogik-expert.de

Themes

Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, CRISPR-based gene drives, Endocrine disruptors, Environment, Financial risks and urban waste planning, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), Glyphosate, Governance, Health, Innovation, Microplastics, Nanotechnologies, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

RECIPES Event

Event Date

22 February 2022 - 23 February 2022

Location

Online

Language

English

Analysis of the case studies

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 10:02:10 +0000

full image

Analysis of the case studies

To fully understand the complexities and the controversies around the application of the precautionary principle, the RECIPES project conducted nine case studies. The aim was to understand and explain the potential differences in the application depending on the topic and the context. A comparison across the different cases indicates that the application of the precautionary principle had positive effects on innovation and contributed to more responsible pathways.

Back in 2019, the RECIPES project finalised the selection of the case studies and developed a conceptual framework focusing on the role of the case studies within the project as well as a methodological framework for the individual case study analyses.

An overview of all case studies can be found HERE, while the conceptual framework and the methodological framework can be found HERE.

Gender Analysis

The RECIPES project is committed to take gender aspects into account when conducting its research. To this end, a note has been developed to inform case study authors on how to reflect gender considerations in the different research steps. The note is available HERE.

Case Studies documentation

Over the course of 2020, the case study authors have engaged in research and drafting. They prepared a report, a factsheet and a short video for all nine cases:

Case study 1: CRISPR-based gene drives
Case study 2: Genetically modified organisms
Case study 3: Endocrine disruptors
Case study 4: Neonicotinoid insecticides
Case study 5: Nanotechnologies
Case study 6: Glyphosate
Case study 7: Financial risks in water infrastructure planning
Case study 8: The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare
Case study 9: Microplastics in food products and cosmetics

All case studies have been bundled in one report, which can be found HERE.

As a last step, the RECIPES project compared the different case studies and identified complexities and controversies surrounding the application of the precautionary principle in the different cases. The report, which combines the inter-case study analysis and the identification of cross-cutting issues is available HERE.

Lessons learnt

When comparing the nine case studies, the RECIPES project identified several lessons learnt in regard to the relevance of the precautionary principle, procedures for its application and effects of the precautionary principle. Lessons learnt include the following:

Relevance: It is necessary to take a broader array of potential consequences into account when developing a new technology and to openly communicate the limitations of scientific knowledge as well as of technological solutions.
Procedures: Although deliberative methods and procedures have proven valuable for public involvement, more guidance is needed on the scope of procedures and methods to acknowledge differences e.g. in the evidence base.
Effects: While the case studies indicated that there is a need to stimulate pathways for innovation, more empirical research is required to test the claim that the precautionary principle hinders innovations in the European Union.

The RECIPES project also compared the results of the case study analysis with the results of the stocktake of the precautionary principle conducted in 2019. The results of the stocktake can be found HERE. The comparison of results can be found HERE.

Authors

Please refer to the individual reports for the list of authors.

ISBN/ISSN/DOI

N/A

Themes

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia, Industry & Business, Funding Sources & Finance

Case Study

Report

Publishing Date

11 March 2021

Language

English

Case Study 8: The use of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:29:51 +0000

full image

Case Study 8: The use of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

About the case

Artificial Intelligence is often characterized as a transformational technology for the twenty-first century. Healthcare could be the domain in which AI will have the most impact, transforming practices in, amongst others, the fields of diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, allocating resources, organizing files, and automated operations. At the same time, the application and possible dependency on AI systems within this critical domain could also negatively impact patient safety, privacy, and fair decision making. The question is to what extent these uncertain risks may justify an invocation of the precautionary principle and how this should be balanced with the large benefits AI systems are thought to offer.

The Case Study factsheet can be downloaded HERE

The full Case Study can be downloaded HERE

Many of the most serious risks of clinical decision support system are related to the violation of human rights, like autonomy, equal access to healthcare and privacy. The European Court of Human Rights has acknowledged the relevance of the precautionary principle in relation to human rights, but the application of the principle in relation to human rights does not seem to be an established practice

A brief summary of the case study

In his case study, he focuses on clinical decision support systems. These systems influence the reasoning behind decisions made by healthcare professionals and help to minimize harmful decisions. How can the precautionary principle help to implement such new technologies?

A short video from the case study author

In this video, Tijs Sikma, researcher at the Rathenau Institute, presents his RECIPES case study on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Partner: Rathenau Institute

Authors

Tijs Sikma, Rathenau Institute
Rosanne Edelenbosch, Rathenau Institute
Petra Verhoef, Rathenau Institute

Contributors

Siebe Rozendal, IASS Potsdam
Sabrina Roettger-Wirtz & Ellen de Vos, Maastricht University
Harald Mieg, Humboldt University of Berlin

With thanks to:

Advisory board members Linda Kool, Rathenau Institute

Credits

Video recording: Tijs Sikma (Rathenau Institute)

Animation: Lena Aebli (Ecologic Institute)

Produced by Ecologic Institute 2020, www.ecologic.eu

Themes

Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, Health

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia, Industry & Business

Case Study

Video

Publishing Date

3 November 2020

Language

English