The ethical issues around the growing adoption of AI are many and varied. This article will focus on the growing use of
AI in the context of professional decision-making within health care. It has been suggested that if automation and robotics
threaten blue collar roles, then AI threatens the jobs of those in white collar or professional roles. This article will seek to
consider the question “How well can AI meet the ethical requirements of being a health care professional?” The paper will
begin by considering the fundamental technologies of AI and their limitations. It will then outline the fundamental ethical
principles of professional codes of conduct which defne what it means to be a professional and what professionals need to
be able to do. This will be illustrated by the use of two case studies. Finally, it will consider whether AI systems can do this
in light of their inherent limitations.