Guiding Inquiry
What are acceptable, ethical, and appropriate uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public health communications?
Last updated December 1, 2024
Throughout 2024, the Ethical Use of AI in Public Health Communications working group has been developing a set of practical guidelines for public health communicators who are considering incorporating AI into their work. The goal of the working group is to develop a set of draft guidelines and best practices encompassing different AI technologies and actual public health communication use cases by late 2024.
As the working group discusses how to design these practical guidelines throughout the year, we are relying on the following guiding inquiry:
“What are acceptable, ethical, and appropriate uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public health communications?”
What are 4 Challenges When Using AI in Public Health Communications?
One of the first ways the working group has approached this guiding inquiry was considering which parts of AI tools pose a challenge to using them ethically in professional communication.
The working group then developed 4 guides to represent the challenges presented by working with generative AI tools: Accuracy and Bias, Authority, Authenticity, Accessibility and Capacity.
We have summarized these 4 challenges in a series of image cards intended to be shared on social media.
One of the first ways the working group has approached this guiding inquiry was considering which parts of AI tools pose a challenge to using them ethically in professional communication. The working group then developed the following guides to represent the challenges presented by working with generative AI tools:
Accuracy and Bias
While AI can create whole documents in split seconds, it can also create sources and “facts” out of thin air. However, for topics that involve public health, information must be sound and accurate to foster public understanding, support, and compliance with guidance and recommendations.
At the same time, large-scale models to date have not escaped the difficulties around human bias such as stereotypes: will the use of AI exacerbate these issues?
Authority
While AI can create whole documents in split seconds, it can also create sources and “facts” out of thin air. However, for topics that involve public health, information must be sound and accurate to foster public understanding, support, and compliance with guidance and recommendations.
At the same time, large-scale models to date have not escaped the difficulties around human bias such as stereotypes: will the use of AI exacerbate these issues?
Authenticity
The issue of trust between health communicators and the public is more important than ever. Though AI promises to improve the efficiency and scale of engagement, it is not clear that this technology helps communications to feel genuine.
For example, how much of a messaging campaign or even basic message must be created or edited by a public health professional, for the information to seem authentic from the organization versus a “bot”?
Accessibility and Capacity
AI seems to promise a revolution for the entire practice of health communications. It is not clear, however, that new AI technologies offer all individuals – regardless of ability – the same opportunities.
If not, what considerations should be made?
To learn more about the guiding inquiry and proposed guiding principles, see our blog post here: Considering the Appropriate and Ethical Use of AI in Public Health Communications.
