The use of IBM Watson in diagnosis and treatment may threaten the ______ of physicians and other practitioners.

• A. Beneficence
• B. Justice
• C. Nonmaleficence
• D. Autonomy

Answer: (D)

Autonomy in health care means clinicians have the freedom to exercise professional judgment and to tailor decisions to the individual patient’s values and circumstances. If IBM Watson is used in diagnosis and treatment, clinicians may become inclined to defer to its algorithmic recommendations or rely on its outputs over their own clinical reasoning. This can squeeze room for personal judgment, reduce discussion with patients about options, and shift decision-making away from the practitioner’s independent judgment, thereby weakening professional autonomy. While AI can support beneficence and reduce harm, the concern here is the potential loss of independent, value-driven decision-making by physicians and other practitioners.