Abstract

The rapid advancements in AI technology have raised critical questions about its impact on end-of-life care. While much of the debate focuses on AI’s potential to predict the preferences of incapacitated patients, little attention has been given to its direct application in delivering lethal drugs at a patient’s request. This contribution explores this underexamined issue, arguing that AI is a game-changer in assisted dying. The paper is structured in three parts. The first explains how AI can be effectively applied to the assisted dying process. The second establishes terminological clarity, contending that the direct use of AI should not be classified as either assisted dying or euthanasia, but rather as a distinct category: AI-Assisted Suicide (AIAS). To support this claim, I examine the moral and legal responsibility associated with AI in such procedures. The third part evaluates AIAS through the lens of the key arguments regarding the moral superiority of assisted suicide over euthanasia and vice versa, concluding that AIAS appears preferable from both perspectives. Ultimately, I argue that AIAS should not merely be seen as an extension of existing assisted dying methods but, wherever feasible, as a replacement, since it effectively addresses several ongoing ethical and practical concerns in the end-of-life debate. This conclusion is particularly relevant to legislative frameworks and policymaking in end-of-life care.