Mobile-Centric Ambient Intelligence in Health- and Homecare—Anticipating Ethical and Legal Challenges

• DOI: 10.1007/s11948-009-9150-5
• Publication Date: 2009-07-13T10:54:11Z
• Authors: Eleni Kosta; Olli Pitkänen; Marketta Niemelä; Eija Kaasinen
• Keywords: Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Polysomnography; Monitoring, Ambulatory; Patient Advocacy; 0603 philosophy, ethics and religion; Principle-Based Ethics; User-Computer Interface; 0508 media and communications; MINAmI project; Humans; Computer Security; Data protection; 05 social sciences; 06 humanities and the arts; Social divide; Self-Help Devices; Home Care Services; Telemedicine; United States; Nanomedicine; Privacy; eInclusion; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Ambient intelligence; Microtechnology; Drug Monitoring; Ethical guidelines; Cell Phone; Confidentiality; Ethical Analysis

Ambient Intelligence provides the potential for vast and varied applications, bringing with it both promise and peril. The development of Ambient Intelligence applications poses a number of ethical and legal concerns. Mobile devices are increasingly evolving into tools to orientate in and interact with the environment, thus introducing a user-centric approach to Ambient Intelligence. The MINAmI (Micro-Nano integrated platform for transverse Ambient Intelligence applications) FP6 research project aims at creating core technologies for mobile device based Ambient Intelligence services. In this paper we assess five scenarios that demonstrate forthcoming MINAmI-based applications focusing on healthcare, assistive technology, homecare, and everyday life in general. A legal and ethical analysis of the scenarios is conducted, which reveals various conflicting interests. The paper concludes with some thoughts on drafting ethical guidelines for Ambient Intelligence applications.