Algorithmic ethics and healthcare pluralism: rethinking care between automation and global inequality
AI Summary: This article examines the implementation of algorithmic healthcare systems in Benin, highlighting the challenges posed by the country's infrastructural fragility and informal clinical networks. Through four field studies conducted from 2016 to 2024, the author finds that the introduction of algorithmic tools without contextual adaptation risks displacing local norms and practices, as existing healthcare infrastructures are ill-equipped to support such systems. The research reveals that while data may be abundant for external projects, it is often scarce for everyday clinical decision-making, leading to epistemic misalignment when external datasets are used for algorithmic decision support. Ultimately, the study argues that the non-use of these algorithms reflects a form of ethical and epistemic resistance, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge and relational practices in healthcare.