BERLIN: The German Ethics Council called on Monday for strict limits on the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

"The use of AI should enhance human development, not diminish it," the council's chairwoman Alena Buyx, chairwoman of the German Ethics Council said during the presentation of the report "Man and Machine - Challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence."

Buyx emphasized that "AI must not replace humans."

The German Ethics Council is an independent committee that focuses on ethical issues and challenges ranging from natural sciences to medicine and healthcare.

Its 26 members are appointed by the president of the parliament. The Bundestag and government can instruct the Ethics Council to advise on specific topics.

The Ethics Council encourages AI use in the medical sector, saying it could ease supply shortages due to staffing issues and make more precise diagnoses.

Still, a loss of medical competence must be avoided while developing or using AI, the council notes. Patients' privacy should be made compatible with the intensive use of data in medical research.

For AI to be used in public administration, citizens would have to be protected against discrimination. Machine recommendations should not be followed blindly, the council warned.

In addition, case-by-case considerations and the rights of those affected to inspect and object must be guaranteed. "AI cannot replace human intelligence, responsibility and evaluation," said Julian Nida-Rümelin, vice chairman of the German Ethics Council.

 - dpa