Durham Reporter

Generative AI tools are becoming an essential asset in public health communication, streamlining tasks that traditionally require significant time and resources. As these technologies evolve, they present new opportunities and challenges for public health professionals.

RTI experts are utilizing AI to enhance formative communication research, refine health messaging, and improve virtual design. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are central to these efforts, allowing quick text analysis and generating human-like responses. These tools aid in coding open-ended survey responses, conducting literature meta-analyses, and monitoring social media discourse on health topics.

"Our findings revealed that AI-assisted analyses can match human coders in accuracy while significantly increasing speed," according to RTI. Despite the efficiency gains, human oversight remains crucial to ensure reliability.

In content development, generative AI helps tailor public health messages for diverse audiences by applying plain language principles. This approach is especially useful for creating accessible content for people with low literacy levels or specific professional groups such as healthcare providers.

Visual design also benefits from AI capabilities. Generative models like StyleGAN address limitations in stock imagery by creating more inclusive representations of various skin tones and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, AI-generated imagery facilitates the depiction of challenging settings without logistical hurdles.

However, using generative AI requires careful consideration of intellectual property rights and consumer trust. Tools must comply with copyright standards while ensuring transparency about their use.

As public health organizations continue to adopt these technologies, establishing ethical guidelines and structured evaluation processes will be vital to maximize benefits while minimizing risks associated with misinformation or inconsistent outputs.

"By leveraging AI’s transformative capabilities," RTI states, "we empower organizations to create more audience-centered and cost-effective health communication."