{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,12]],"date-time":"2026-09-12T19:06:21Z","timestamp":1789239981197,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779148800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779148800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001711","name":"Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur F\u00f6rderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["221381"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["221381"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001711","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Bioethics"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Artificial intelligence (AI)\u2010generated synthetic data has emerged as a promising solution to address the underrepresentation of underserved populations in medical AI systems. By artificially generating data that mimics real\u2010world patient information, proponents argue that AI\u2010generated synthetic data can fill data gaps, improve algorithmic fairness, and mitigate bias without requiring costly data collection or raising privacy concerns. However, in this article, I challenge this optimistic view. I argue that AI\u2010generated synthetic data may amplify existing biases rather than mitigate them, and complicate informed consent processes in ways that disproportionately harm underserved populations. I examine two critical ethical dimensions: (1) how the opacity inherent in synthetic data generation can reproduce and amplify discriminatory patterns present in the source data, and (2) how AI\u2010generated synthetic data complexifies informed consent. I conclude that while AI\u2010generated synthetic data offers apparent technical advantages, it fails to address, and may worsen, data disparities affecting underserved populations. Rather than pursuing synthetic solutions, I believe that we should address the structural barriers that prevent genuine inclusion of underserved populations in medical research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/bioe.70121","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T08:56:09Z","timestamp":1779180969000},"page":"865-870","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Artificial Intelligence\u2010Generated Synthetic Data in Healthcare: A False Promise for Underserved Populations?"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"40","author":[{"given":"St\u00e9phanie","family":"Baggio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Psychology University of Lausanne Lausanne Vaud Switzerland"},{"name":"Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM) University of Bern Bern Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_9_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2017.7797"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMp1714229"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12911-025-02884-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/amajethics.2019.160"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2053951715622512"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aax2342"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00146-020-01085-w"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/singaporemedj.SMJ-2023-279"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s44319-024-00101-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/hast.4911"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2420914122"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2589-7500(20)30065-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbi.2022.104269"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_15_1","volume-title":"Principles of Biomedical Ethics","author":"Beauchamp T. L.","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15265161.2020.1863511"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15265161.2021.1906987"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_18_1","volume-title":"Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence for Health: WHO Guidance","author":"WHO","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ans.12555"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.35248\/2385-5495.24.10.139"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1238041"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2012-201257"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_23_1","unstructured":"M.Randall A.Stern andY.Su Five Ethical Risks to Consider Before Filling Missing Race and Ethnicity Data published 2021 https:\/\/www.urban.org\/sites\/default\/files\/publication\/103830\/five-ethical-risks-to-consider-before-filling-missing-race-and-ethnicity-data-workshop-findings_0.pdf."}],"container-title":["Bioethics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/bioe.70121","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1111\/bioe.70121","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/bioe.70121","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,12]],"date-time":"2026-09-12T19:03:41Z","timestamp":1789239821000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/bioe.70121"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/bioe.70121"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/bioe.70121","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0269-9702","1467-8519"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0269-9702","type":"print"},{"value":"1467-8519","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-12-05","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-11","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-19","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}