Artificial Intelligence and Embryo Selection in Assisted Reproduction: Scientific Data and Ethics

Abstract

This presentation examines the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in embryo selection during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Various methods will be addressed, alongside the results of international studies comparing the success rates of IVF when the most suitable embryos for implantation are selected using specialized AI programs—tools that are already being marketed and utilized in fertility clinics.

The analysis will highlight the potential benefits of AI in assisted reproduction, as well as its inherent limitations, contrasting them with the constraints of embryo selection performed solely by expert embryologists.

Furthermore, the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI in IVF will be discussed, specifically:

• The risk of treating embryos merely as “algorithmic exercises,” potentially overlooking their human ethical dimension.

• Algorithmic bias and issues of accountability regarding the final selection.

• Data security and the risk of “de-skilling” among embryology experts.

• The necessity for transparency and explainability (XAI) in AI methodologies.

• Informed consent of the stakeholders and the critical issue of equitable access to these advanced technologies.