Disaster victim identification: a narrative review of innovations and ethical considerations

Abstract Purpose Mass disasters present significant challenges for victim identification. This requires rapid, effective, accurate, and ethically sound methods. This review examines the current state-of-the-art literature to investigate how emerging technologies are revolutionizing disaster victim identification (DVI) practices, highlighting some pressing ethical concerns they raise. Moreover, it seeks to provide recommendations for ethical use and discuss future challenges. Methods This review presents evidence from the existing literature that investigates the integration and impact of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, drones, remote sensing, and advanced DNA phenotyping, into DVI practices. It also analyzes the associated ethical concerns arising from these technological advancements. Results Though the literature recognizes that these technologies offer novel innovations for improving DVI. However, as they become more advanced, they also raise critical ethical concerns as confidentiality, bias, and accountability within forensic identification processes in mass disasters. Conclusions This review provides recommendations and guidelines for the ethical implementation of these technologies in DVI. It concludes by discussing the ongoing and future challenges that forensic science and disaster management teams will face in utilizing these technologies ethically and effectively within crisis contexts.