Critical Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence Research for Image-Based Autism Detection
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19232457 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mario Castelàn (0000-0001-5846-6645, Centre of Advanced Studies), Patrick Dwyer (0000-0003-1779-5252, La Trobe University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 64-81 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | IEEE Technology and Society Magazine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0278-0097 • E-ISSN: 1937-416X |
| Publisher | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1109/mts.2026.3661481 |
| OpenAlex | W7137348012 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 126 |
In recent years, possible applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying neurodivergent people have received increasing attention. As an example, a publicly available database of children’s facial images hosted on Kaggle has been used to train AI models for autism diagnosis. The database includes approximately 3000 images of putatively autistic and neurotypical children and has been used in around 50 AI articles over the past five years, with more than 500 citations in total. However, the data were compiled using online searches on autism websites and social networks. This article critically examines the scientific validity of such a dataset for determining a child’s autism status, and highlights significant ethical and methodological flaws in the database construction and use. We argue that these flaws could have been prevented if the authors had partnered with community members and interdisciplinary experts. Without rigorous methods, appropriate ethical review, and genuine understanding of the populations being studied, AI models can easily become invalid. This article calls for a re-evaluation of the ethical implications and scientific integrity of using weakly validated datasets in AI for autism research
Artificial Intelligence System · Artificial neural network · Autism · Autism spectrum disorder · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Child Development and Digital Technology · Emotion and Mood Recognition
Understanding Disability
The Aaspire practice-based guidelines for the inclusion of autistic adults in research as co-researchers and study participants
Whose Expertise Is It? Evidence for Autistic Adults as Critical Autism Experts
Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020
Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population
Avoiding Ableist Language
Perceived child impairment and the ‘autism epidemic’
Extending the Minority Stress Model to Understand Mental Health Problems Experienced by the Autistic Population
The Relationship Between Generalised Joint Hypermobility and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults
Sharenting and the extended self
Critical autism studies
The Disability Employment Puzzle
Disability Studies
No One Has to Be Your Friend
Social Influence and the Autism Epidemic
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |