Artificial intelligence in the field of human assisted reproduction and its limits from a human rights point of view

• Author: João Proença Xavier, Silvia Vilar González
• Pages: 180-198

180



of human assisted reproduction and



João Proença Xavier1



Silvia Vilar González2





1 JOÃO PROENÇA XAVIER, PhD | Visiting Professor at the University of Las Palmas de

Gran Canaria – Faculty of Legal Sciences ULPGC (Erasmus+ programme) for teacher Mobility. PhD in

Human Rights from the University of Salamanca (Spain). PhD Professor at CEIS 20 – Centre for 20th

Century Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra (Portugal). Coordinator of the Bioethics

Biomedical Law area of IBEROJUR – Iberoamerican Institute of Legal Studies. Member of the São

Paulo Academy of Law associated to the International Human Rights Centre of São Paulo, linked to

the San Tiago Dantas Chair (Brazil). EUROPEAN LAWYER with the Insignia of the Ilustre Colégio

de Advogados de Salamanca. Member of SPMR - Sociedade Portuguesa de Medicina da Reprodução

(Portuguese Society of Reproductive Medicine). International consultant to the Constitutional Law

Committee of the Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro. Member of the NATIONAL ORGANISING

COMMITEE of the 14th World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law organised by

the UNESCO CHAIR IN BIOETHICS.

This work is funded by national funds throught FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.

P., within the scope of Project UIDB/00460/2020.

2 SÍLVIA VILAR GONZÁLEZ, PhD | Professor of Law from the Universitat Jaume I

(Castellón de la Plana, Spain), where she teaches. Teacher at the International University of La Rioja

– International researcher in private law, focusing her research on Biomedical Law, Human Rights

and Businesses, having published several monographs, book chapters and specialised doctrine articles.

Member of the CEDRI - Grupo de Investigação do Centro de Estudiós de Derecho y Relaciones

Internacionales [Centre for the Study of International Law and International Relations] of the

Universitat Jaume I (Castellón de la Plana (Spain).



181

I. INTRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence, also known as computational intelligence, allows

machines to simulate human intelligence processes, including the ability to learn,

reason and improve on their own as they move ahead with their tasks.

According to some authors, this science provides processes or activities

with knowledge so that they are successful3. Others state that it involves creating

computer or machine programmes with the ability to develop behaviours that we

would consider intelligent if they were carried out by humans4. But, in the end, as

argued by Nils J. NILSSON, it boils down to making machines develop rational

behaviour in complex environments5.

The origins of the artificial intelligence research field go back further than

one might think, with Alan TURING (1912-1954), a British mathematician,

designing, in the context of the Second World War, the first intelligent decoding

machine capable of intercepting the encrypted messages that German submarines

used to communicate6. This allowed the United Kingdom to free itself from the

maritime isolation that was headed for defeat. However, it was computer scientist

John McCARTHY (1927-2011) who first coined the term at a conference held at

Dartmouth University (Hanover, New Hampshire, USA) in 19567.

Nowadays, the applications related to artificial intelligence are making a

tremendous and unimaginable progress, facilitating and improving the quality of

life of many people.

Thus, advances continue to be made in the creation and development of

expert systems for the business and trade sector, through applications intended to

help managers in the complex planning or resource allocation decision-making

3 ESCOLANO RUIZ, Francisco et al., Inte ligencia artificial: modelos, técnicas y áreas de

aplicación, Thomson, Madrid (España), 2003, p 4.

4 KAPLAN, Jerry, Inteligencia artificial. Lo que todo el mundo debe saber, Teell Editorial,

Zaragoza (España), 2016, p. 1.

5 NILSSON, Nils J., Inteligencia artificial: una nueva síntesis, McGraw-Hill, Madrid

(España), 2001, p. 1.

6 ESCRIG VIDAL, Antoni, “Alan Turing y el nacimiento de la inteligencia artificial”, Antena

de Telecomunicación, Núm. 167, 2007, p. 45.

7 MOOR, James, “The Dartmouth College Artificial Intelligence Conference: The Next Fifty

Years”, AI Magazine, Vol. 27, Núm. 4, 2006, p. 87.