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What is AI ethics and what is it not? What is the difference between ‘responsible AI’ and ‘ethical AI’? What’s in the ethics ‘toolbox’ on the front-lines at a global biotech company? How many ‘r’s are there in the word “strawberry”?

In this episode of JBI Dialogues, we chat with Adjunct Professor Katrina Bramstedt - clinical ethicist and associate editor of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, with experience in an industry setting - about the fast-evolving world of AI in healthcare.

We talk about some recent developments in AI in healthcare and in research, controversy with AI powered therapy apps and AI generated text.

We ask Katrina about their forecast for what’s next in AI ethics scholarship. And then, we ask so-called generative-AI tool, Claude.ai the same question! The results were interesting…
SPOILER: AI tools are not good at predicting the future (yet?)

The Instagram post mentioned.

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Find Prof Katrina Bramstedt on LinkedIn.

Adjunct Professor Katrina Bramstedt (QUT) is clinical ethicist and associate editor of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. Katrina was also recently recognised by the 2025 Springer Nature Award for Author Service - congrats!

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Hosted, produced and edited by Sara Attinger

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What is truth-telling and is it always the best way? How might dignity help us think about the morality of kidney sales? What does the 2018 Thailand cave dive rescue teach us about medical informed consent and virtue?

These are just some of the questions explored in the JBI articles chosen by current joint editor-in-chief, Dr Michael Ashby, for the journal’s 20th anniversary collection.

Michael is a palliative care and pain clinician, a self-confessed ‘dabbler’ in philosophy, and joint editor-in-chief at the JBI for nearly a decade.

In addition to some cracker reflections on these JBI articles, Michael peels back the ‘editorial curtain’, and we talk about things like:
- The impacts of the recent US election and Trump’s USA, and the trickle down effects into Australia and NZ
- Political “contagion” and mimicry
- The need for logic and the ‘realness’ of subjectivity
- A Freudian psychoanalysis of bioethics and
- Trying the ‘pub test’ on your piece bioethics research.

This is also a great pod episode if you’re newer to the JBI and publishing/reading bioethics as Michael gives a bit of insight into what kinds of scholarship the JBI publishes.

Enjoy!

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0:00 - Introduction
5:20 - Reflections on 20 years of the JBI and the recent US election
18:56 - on truth and reconciliation
22:50 - on autonomy and patient values in Poland
29:30 - on open disclosure in New Zealand
34:33 - on the morality of kidney sales
38:50 - on the ethical considerations of anaesthetist involved in the 2018 Thailand cave dive rescue

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JBI Archives 20th Anniversary - Open Access Collection

Micheal's complete editorial 'Twigs of Evidence'

Select Papers (in order of mention):

Lingis, A. Truth in Reconciliation. Bioethical Inquiry 8, 239–243 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-011-9306-2

Olchowska-Kotala, A., Strządała, A. & Barański, J. Patients’ Values and Desire for Autonomy: An Empirical Study from Poland. Bioethical Inquiry 20, 409–419 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-023-10241-y

McLennan, S., Moore, J. New Zealand District Health Boards’ Open Disclosure Policies: A Qualitative Review. Bioethical Inquiry 16, 35–44 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-018-9894-1

Reese, A., Pies, I. The Morality of Kidney Sales: When Caring for the Seller’s Dignity Has Moral Costs. Bioethical Inquiry 20, 139–152 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-023-10231-0

Irwin, M.A. The Thailand Cave Rescue: General Anaesthesia in Unique Circumstances Presents Ethical Challenges for the Rescue Team. Bioethical Inquiry 19, 265–271 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-022-10168-w

Music by Lidérc via Pixabay
Hosted, produced and edited by Sara Attinger

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We often think of writing as creating, but is editing another’s academic work, creating? What does really cool bioethics scholarship look like from the perspective of an ethical transculturalism scholar?

Former JBI editor-in-chief, Professor Jing-Bao Nie (Otago), talks about 3 papers from 2004-2006 whose originality and theoretical and methodological visions still spark scholarly joy today!

Jing-Bao touches on ethical transculturalism, the integration of sociology into bioethics, whether Confucianism is ‘secular’, ethical justifications for editing, editing as creating, and the joy of learning.

You can read Jing-Bao’s part of the editorial online: Celebrating Twenty Years of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry - Editorial Choices.

You can read Jing-Bao’s picks for the anniversary collection free online for a limited time here. These are:
- Robert, J.S., J. Maienschein, and M.D. Laubichler. 2006. Systems bioethics and stem cell biology. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 3(1): 19–31.
- Hudson, M.L., A.L.M. Ahuriri-Driscoll,M.G. Lea, et al. 2007. Whakapapa—A foundation for genetic research? Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 4(1): 43–49.
- Sui, S., and M. Sleeboom-Faulkner. 2007. Commercial genetic testing in mainland China: Social, financial and ethical issues. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 4(4): 229–237.

Jing-Bao Nie from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Trained as a physician in Chinese medicine, Jing-Bao then studied sociology in Canada and the medical humanities and bioethics in the USA, and served as co-editor and editorial advisor of a number of academic journals, including of course, being editor in chief of the JBI from 2004-2006.

Music by Lidérc via Pixabay
Hosted and edited by Sara Attinger