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Is a robot surgeon with AI the ideal surgeon? A philosophical analysis

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Abstract

The medical field of surgery has integrated robots with Artificial Intelligence into its procedures. Currently, these machines primarily assist physicians in their activities, but it is plausible that, with ongoing scientific and technological advancements, AI robot surgeons could replace human surgeons in the near future. After providing an overview of the current state of robotic surgery and prospective future developments and scenarios, the paper will focus on the potential difficulties patients may experience in accepting interventions performed by an AI robot surgeon, largely owing to their perception of the robot as non-human. The prevailing concerns that will be analyzed and discussed from a philosophical standpoint include the belief that the AI robotic surgeon is not considered part of the medical team, its perceived incapacity to empathize with patients and to create emotional involvement, and the fear that it might commit severe errors unanticipated by its programming or react inappropriately to adverse events.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which have allowed us to improve the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, Confortini Center, Civil Hospital, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Sara Patuzzo & Simone Giacopuzzi

  2. Department of Linguistics and Literary, Historical, Philosophical and Legal Studies, University of Tuscia of Viterbo, Viterbo, Italy

    Maurizio Balistreri

  3. Verona, Italy

    Tommaso Marinelli

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  1. Sara Patuzzo
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Patuzzo, S., Balistreri, M., Marinelli, T. et al. Is a robot surgeon with AI the ideal surgeon? A philosophical analysis. AI Ethics (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-023-00361-x

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