Petra Gelhaus

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Petra Gelhaus is a pioneering voice at the intersection of medical ethics, virtue theory, and artificial intelligence. Her research critically examines the role of emotional and moral virtues in clinical practice, arguing that good medical decision-making requires more than technical proficiency—it demands virtuous judgment. In her most cited work, *“Robot decisions: on the importance of virtuous judgment in clinical decision making”* (2011, 24 citations), Gelhaus makes a compelling case for integrating emotional professional virtues into medical education to balance technological and humanistic capacities. She extends this argument in *“I, Medical Robot. On the differences between a virtuous doctor and a good robot”* (2011, 5 citations), where she explores the fundamental distinctions between human moral agency and machine efficiency. Gelhaus’s contributions are especially relevant today as healthcare increasingly adopts AI and robotics. By foregrounding the irreplaceable value of empathy, compassion, and ethical reasoning, she challenges the assumption that machines can fully replicate the moral depth of human clinicians. Her work serves as a vital resource for students and researchers navigating the ethical dimensions of medical technology, reminding us that the heart of medicine remains profoundly human.