Abstract Advance directives have historically relied upon human agents. But what happens when a patient appoints an artificial intelligence system as an agent? This essay introduces the idea of roboagents —chatbots authorized to make medical decisions when individuals lose capacity. After describing potential models, including a personal AI companion and a chatbot that has not been trained on a patient's values and preferences, the essay explores the ethical tensions these roboagents generate regarding autonomy, bias, consent, family trust, and physician well‐being. This essay then calls for legal clarity and ethical guidance regarding the status of roboagents in light of their potential as alternative health care agents.
Jacob M. Appel (Thu,) studied this question.