This report presents the results of a qualitative study into the socio-ethical benefits and socio-ethical risks of using digital twins in healthcare based on the outcome of 23 interviews and 1 expert workshop.
Abstract:
"Anticipating the ethical impact of emerging technologies is an essential part of responsible innovation.
One such emergent technology is the digital twin which we define here as a living replica of a physical
system (human or non-human). A digital twin combines various emerging technologies such as AI,
Internet of Things, big data and robotics, each component bringing its own socio-ethical features to
the resulting artefacts. The question thus arises which of these socio-ethical features surface in the
process and how they are perceived by stakeholders in the field. This report presents the results
of a qualitative study into the socio-ethical benefits and socio-ethical risks of using digital twins in
healthcare. Employing insights from the Anticipatory Technology Ethics approach and the Quadruple
Helix theory of innovation, we conducted desk research of gray literature and 23 interviews with
representatives from four sectors interested in the digital twin: industry, research, policy and civil
society. The ethical scan revealed several important areas where the digital twin can produce socioethical value (e.g., prevention and treatment of disease, cost reduction, patient autonomy and
freedom, equal treatment) but also several important areas of socio-ethical risks (e.g., privacy and
property of data, disruption of existing societal structures, inequality and injustice). We conclude with
a reflection on the future of digital twins, the ETA tool and suggestions for further research."
Read the full report here
