The Ethics of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Perioperative Medicine: Is Unregulated AI Already at the Bedside?

Purpose of ReviewArtificial Intelligence is permeating perioperative medicine and has real implication for patient outcomes. We discuss the ethics of artificial intelligence and big data in perioperative medicine to bring awareness of how the tools can be harnessed to improve patient outcomes, while being cognizant of ethical considerations as AI tools are changing the practice of perioperative healthcare providers across the world.Recent FindingsThere are concerns of scientific integrity with the increasing availability of language learning models and other AI tools that can fabricate data and images. Unregulated AI is likely already at the bedside aiding novices, while healthcare-focused AI tools such as decision support systems undergo regulatory scrutiny.SummaryIn the perioperative setting, training for the healthcare provider will need to catch up with the technological tools available to discern between appropriate uses of the technology.