Ethical challenges of using artificial intelligence in suicide prevention: a literature review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a tool that could provide useful prevention strategies for people at risk of suicide. However, there are many ethical challenges regarding sensitive or confidential data in the use of AI<i>.</i> This article identifies ethical issues in the use of AI for suicide prevention, analyzed from a mental health perspective and the current Durkheimian approach. A non-systematic review of the literature and a critical analysis of the information were carried out. Data employed for suicide prevention using AI are obtained for other purposes, including untargeted surveys without explicit informed consent, chatbot clinical care records, and non-standardized medical records, which may lead to inappropriate use of information<i>.</i> The use of AI in suicide prevention requires consideration of ethical data management, and issues such as informed consent, privacy, and respect for dignity and autonomy, and must be analyzed in light of social and behavioural transformations.