A plea for caution and guidance about using AI in genomics

Abstract

The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into genetics and genomics research can enable research that would have been otherwise impossible. However, these benefits must be considered together with the potential risks to humans, other sentient beings, and the environment. Genetic and genomic advances require much trial and error to succeed; this is ethically fraught when the consequences are unknown and the moral status of created or modified tissues or organisms is unclear, or possibly comparable to conscious beings. We argue that it is urgent to expand the ethical discourse on the use of AI in genomics research and to develop appropriate guidance.

Genetics and genomics research has enabled us to answer questions about historical events and keeps adding considerable depth to what we know about the world and ourselves. For example, it has determined when and how certain animals and plants were domesticated, how diseases spread, how viruses mutate, and thanks to CRISPR, has led to remarkable advances in the understanding and treatment of rare genetic conditions. However, these advances also intensify long-standing tensions between biomedical innovations and research ethics norms, especially with new AI developments.