Intellectual Property and Health Technological Innovations at the time of the Pandemic

Abstract

Technological innovations at the time of the pandemic and post pandemic is the focus of this paper which examines the relationship between intellectual property (IP), artificial intelligence (AI) and the healthcare sector. Research in this area includes the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industries in the healthcare sector and the impact of intellectual property protection on emerging technologies. Taking an interdisciplinary and diverse perspective, this paper enriches the evolving scope of ethical discourse literature by focusing on intellectual property assets that use AI and regulation that shape the healthcare sector. Considering the gap between law and development theory and practice, this paper bridges academic knowledge in unpacking ethical and governance issues in the intellectual property industry, healthcare law and emerging technologies. Unpacking these issues is important in the law and development context as ethical issues that arise from emerging technologies using AI systems and the responses from policymakers in governing their developments create long-term implications to individuals and populations. Governance responses often vary according to the local contexts, and are dependent on the unique socio-cultural structures, institutional organisations and legal frameworks.