Compassionate AI for Moral Decision-Making, Health, and Well-Being

Proceedings of the Seventh AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society, 2024

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) technology promises plausible increases to human flourishing, health, and well-being but raises concerns about possible harms and increased suffering. By making AI compassionate, the alleviation of suffering becomes explicit, rather than proxied, and potential harms caused by AI automation can be turned into benefits. Compassionate healthcare is beneficial for patient health outcomes and satisfaction and improves caregiver resilience and burnout. AI automation has many benefits but may interfere with patient care and autonomy. Incorporating compassion into healthcare reduces potential harms, increases health benefits and well-being, and can protect patient autonomy while providing more responsive and equitable care. Whether and how one conceives of AI as plausibly compassionate depends on ethical concerns and cultural context, including assumptions about human nature and AI personhood. Insights from Buddhism have contributed to scholarship on compassion and can extend incomplete Western perspectives on AI possibilities and limitations. Psychological research on the elements of compassion can guide development of compassionate AI and its incorporation into healthcare. Compassionate AI can be deployed especially into application areas where compassion plays an essential role with high demands on the compassion capacity of caregivers, such as dementia eldercare and palliative care.

frontiers in psychology, section on human-media interaction, 2023

This article uses a systematic scoping review of the literature to explore the possible association between AI technologies and compassion in healthcare. The implications of this review include: 1) In a complex adaptive system such as healthcare, human-AI intelligent caring will need to be implemented, not as an ideology, but through strategic choices, incentives, regulation, professional education, and training, as well as through joined up thinking about human-AI intelligent caring. 2) Research funders can encourage research and development into the topic of AI technologies and compassion as a system of human-AI intelligent caring. 3) Educators, technologists, and health professionals can inform themselves about the system of human-AI intelligent caring. Exploring the possible association between AI and compassion is important because AI mediates every area of healthcare systems (e.g., complex systems involving purchasers, providers, payers, patients, and so on) by powering search engines, analysing data and making recommendations (Bajwa et al., 2021), as well as through clinical and health-related applications (Davenport and Kalakota, 2019).

Religion, 2021

This paper describes a new generation of computational intelligence founded on the ancient idea of compassion called Artificial Compassion. This paradigm shift in AI follows from two recent developments in science and technology. First, Increasing discoveries of human sciences in new fields like psychocardiology, neuroendocrinology and psychoneuroimmunology show our health depends on compassion. This provides the spark for Artificial Compassion. Although we once thought with certainty that our brain is fixed for life but neuropsychology and a device called the fMRI have shown it is "plastic". The brain and many other body processes change in response to our experiences. It is changed for the better through positive emotions like compassion, kindness and happiness. Our long held assumptions about emotion currently reflected in user interfaces and human machine interaction are unsuitable for humanity. The second development is 'machine rub off'. This is a type of plasticity I call "device plasticity." We are in symbiotic relation with our devices today and we are plastic. We are changed by our interactions. The trouble is many people have computer rage. They have pain, chronic illnesses, and bad days. We need Artificial Compassion to replace computer indifference to us with a positive plasticity, that is, a plasticity that will create a positive impact on our health.

Religions, 2021

(DRAFT FOR COMMENTS) This paper describes a new generation of computational intelligence founded on the ancient idea of compassion called Artificial Compassion. This paradigm shift in AI follows from two recent developments in science and technology. First, Increasing discoveries of human sciences in new fields like psychocardiology, neuroendocrinology and psychoneuroimmunology show our health depends on compassion. This provides the spark for Artificial Compassion. Although we once thought with certainty that our brain is fixed for life but neuropsychology and a device called the fMRI have shown it is "plastic". The brain and many other body processes change in response to our experiences. It is changed for the better through positive emotions like compassion, kindness and happiness. Our long held assumptions about emotion currently reflected in user interfaces and human machine interaction are unsuitable for humanity. The second development is 'machine rub off'. This is a type of plasticity I call "device plasticity." We are in symbiotic relation with our devices today and we are plastic. We are changed by our interactions. The trouble is many people have computer rage. They have pain, chronic illnesses, and bad days. We need Artificial Compassion to replace computer indifference to us with a positive plasticity, that is, a plasticity that will create a positive impact on our health.

Theology and Science, 2024

Loyola Institute of Peace and International Relations (LIPI/India/journal)

Are AI and technologies inspired by it the pinnacle of our intelligence? Our achievement? Can AI as we know it today help us create machines that we can call human-like? Can we use AI to create a compassionate being?

Social Robotics, 2023

With the advancement of AI technology, the appearance of intelligent autonomous care robots in our society is likely in the foreseeable future. My research focuses on the ethical dimensions in the autonomous care robots' decisions and actions. In this paper I will first present the partial result of an online survey that I launched in March 2022. The survey, entitled "Human-in-the-Loop Ethical AI for Social Robots," polls people's opinions on what kind of virtues they would like our future care robots to demonstrate. I will then explicate how Confucian virtue ethics can respond to human expectations of what kind of virtuous care robots we want in our society.

The International Review of Information Ethics, 2020

The following essay explores the intersection of care with ethical reflections on artificial intelligence (AI). The current debate around AI ethics focuses on questions of moral AI judgment and the general criteria for maximizing the fairness, accountability, and transparency of these judgments. While this discussion is important, it all too often obfuscates the actual purpose and intention behind the use of the algorithmic or AI technology. Where the rationale for developing these technologies focuses on increasing optimization and innovation, concern must be shifted to ensure that AI will be used primarily to address current inequities and harms, from exacerbating climate change to manipulating voters via social media to creating “better” weapons.

AI and Ethics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to pervade several aspects of healthcare with pace and scale. The need for an ethical framework in AI to address this has long been recognized, but to date most efforts have delivered only high-level principles and value statements. Herein, we explain the need for an ethical framework in healthcare AI, the different moral theories that may serve as its basis, the rationale for why we believe this should be built around virtue ethics, and explore this in the context of five key ethical concerns for the introduction of AI in healthcare. Some existing work has suggested that AI may replace clinicians. We argue to the contrary, that the clinician will not be replaced, nor their role attenuated. Rather, they will be integral to the responsible design, deployment, and regulation of AI in healthcare, acting as the moral exemplar for the virtuous machine. We collate relevant points from the literature and formulate our own to present a coherent argumen...

Walnut Publication , 2024

Abstract: In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and ever-increasing demands for well-being, the quest for a harmonious equilibrium between the realms of Artificial Intelligence (AI), spirituality, healthcare, and management has emerged as a pivotal frontier. This research paper, titled "Harmonizing the Threads of WellBeing: AI, Spirituality, Healthcare, and Management," delves deep into the intricate tapestry of these domains, weaving together threads of innovation, consciousness, and compassion to outline a blueprint for sustainable well-being. The digital age has witnessed the meteoric rise of AI, revolutionizing healthcare and management. AI-driven algorithms have propelled medical diagnostics to unprecedented precision, optimized treatment strategies, and streamlined healthcare delivery. Simultaneously, AIdriven analytics have become indispensable tools for efficient resource allocation and strategic decisionmaking in management. Yet, technology alone cannot unravel the intricacies of human well-being. Spirituality, an intrinsic facet of human existence, unfurls its nurturing embrace within the paper's narrative. Beyond religious doctrines, spirituality embodies the human quest for meaning, interconnectedness, and inner peace. Incorporating spirituality into healthcare and management practices transcends the confines of traditional approaches, promoting holistic well-being. Compassion, ethics, and a sense of purpose are illuminated as essential touchstones. This research paper proposes an innovative synthesis where AI, spirituality, healthcare, and management converge synergistically. AI becomes a conduit through which spiritual principles permeate healthcare and management. Personalized wellness plans now incorporate spiritual practices, fostering an environment where ethics and empathy guide AI-driven algorithms. Organizations, through compassionate leadership, find themselves on a trajectory that places human values at its heart. Moreover, sustainability resonates throughout this tapestry. The integration of AI and spirituality extends its purview to environmental sustainability, social equity, and long-term prosperity. By nurturing interconnectedness, the approach envisions a world where individuals, communities, and the planet coexist harmoniously. In conclusion, "Harmonizing the Threads of WellBeing: AI, Spirituality, Healthcare, and Management" serves as a beacon of hope in an era marked by complexity. This research paper urges society to embrace this transformative integration, wherein technology and spirituality can go hand in hand in unison, fostering a world where well-being is sustainable, compassionate, and holistic. As we embark on this journey of exploration, we uncover new possibilities for the future of well-being and the human experience. Key Words: Well-being, AI, Spirituality, Healthcare, Management