Exploring the privacy dilemmas in integrating traditional Chinese medicine with artificial intelligence based on case studies

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with healthcare is beneficial for expanding the accessibility of medical services, benefiting doctors and patients alike. Currently, research on the intelligentization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is also underway. Patient information is collected using AI in TCM and converted into data storage. Digital technology and intelligent algorithms can construct non-private information fragments into a form of privacy problem. We explored the privacy dilemma that the combination of TCM and AI may face, based on case studies, and focused on analyzing the following issues: First, from the perspective of Chinese culture, the cultural sensitivity and privacy conflict in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases using AI in TCM are examined, emphasizing the need to comprehensively consider the cultural background, personal privacy, and diagnostic accuracy in the application of AI in TCM to find a suitable balance point. Second, the philosophical significance behind the combination of TCM and AI includes the diversity of body cognition and local knowledge. Third, the combination of TCM and AI may introduce social governance issues, along with several governance suggestions that can be referred.