Rationale
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will amplify and sophisticate the spread of health mis- and dis-information, further eroding public trust; however, it has promising applications for public health communication to help counter this. The benefits of using generative AI in public health must be balanced with the risks and limitations, including the potential for AI to contribute to and deepen health inequities. Research is needed to guide public health communication practice in the context of AI.
Our research
Our reserach is investigating the use of AI for public health communication. We are exploring how generative AI models can apply evidence, theories, and other communication principles and best practices to create ethical and effective message and image outputs, especially in connection to climate change and health.
Outcomes
The testing and development of good generative AI practices are a necessary first step to enable public health workforce development in this area and the strategic use of generative AI for health communication to positively impact public health. The public health topic we are focusing our generative AI research on is climate change and health. This research is funded by Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (CARE-AI) at the University of Guelph.