Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Public Health Education and Communication

As public health organizations strive to reach broader, more diverse audiences with timely and accurate information, generative AI is emerging as a transformative force in health education and communication. From automating the creation of microbiology images to personalizing educational content and improving accessibility, generative AI tools—such as text-to-image models and large language models—are redefining how public health agencies engage, educate, and empower communities. Yet, as with any powerful technology, these advances come with new challenges, including data bias, explainability, and the need for robust ethical frameworks.

The Promise of Generative AI in Public Health

Generative AI refers to a class of machine learning models designed to create new content—text, images, audio, and more—by learning from vast datasets. In public health, these capabilities are unlocking new ways to:

• Visualize complex scientific concepts: Text-to-image models like DALL-E and Midjourney can generate detailed, scientifically accurate images of microbiological processes, making abstract or microscopic phenomena accessible to students, practitioners, and the general public.
• Automate and personalize educational materials: Language models can generate tailored health information, FAQs, and even interactive simulations, ensuring content is relevant to specific communities, languages, and literacy levels.
• Enhance accessibility: Generative AI can automate the creation of accessible documents, alternative text for images, and content in multiple formats, helping agencies meet legal requirements and reach people with disabilities or limited digital literacy.

Practical Use Cases

Traditionally, sourcing high-quality, accurate images of cellular or molecular processes has been costly and time-consuming, often limited by the availability of stock imagery or the need for specialized illustrators. Generative AI models now allow public health agencies to create custom visuals on demand, using natural language prompts to specify the desired content. This not only reduces costs but also enables rapid iteration and adaptation as scientific understanding evolves. For example, agencies can quickly produce visuals to explain how vaccines work at the cellular level or illustrate the mechanisms of disease transmission, making these concepts more tangible for non-expert audiences.

Accessibility is a legal and ethical imperative for public health communication. Generative AI can help automate the production of accessible materials—such as screen reader-friendly documents, alternative text for images, and content translations—at scale. By integrating accessibility checks and best practices into the content creation workflow, agencies can ensure that vital health information reaches all citizens, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency. This approach not only reduces administrative burden but also fosters greater equity in public health outreach.

Generative AI enables the rapid creation of personalized educational materials tailored to the needs, preferences, and cultural contexts of different communities. For instance, language models can generate FAQs, symptom checkers, or preventive care guides that reflect local health concerns, languages, and literacy levels. This level of personalization helps build trust, improve engagement, and drive better health outcomes—especially in underserved or hard-to-reach populations.

Addressing the Challenges: Data Bias, Explainability, and Ethics

While the opportunities are significant, generative AI also introduces new risks and complexities for public health organizations:

• Data Bias: Generative models are only as good as the data they are trained on. If training datasets lack diversity or contain historical biases, the resulting content may perpetuate inaccuracies or exclude certain groups. For example, AI-generated images or text may underrepresent minority populations or reinforce stereotypes, undermining the credibility and inclusivity of public health messaging.
• Explainability: Deep learning models, including generative AI, are often "black boxes"—their internal decision-making processes are difficult to interpret. This lack of transparency can make it challenging for agencies to validate the accuracy of generated content or explain why a particular image or message was produced. Building trust in AI-driven health communication requires ongoing investment in explainability and human oversight.
• Ethical and Responsible Use: The rapid adoption of generative AI raises important questions about privacy, consent, and the responsible use of data. Public health agencies must establish clear guidelines for ethical AI use, including data governance, transparency, and mechanisms for human review. This is especially critical when AI-generated content could influence health behaviors or policy decisions.

Building a Future-Ready Public Health Communication Strategy

To harness the full potential of generative AI while mitigating risks, public health organizations should:

1. Invest in Data Quality and Diversity: Ensure that training datasets are representative of the populations served, and regularly audit AI outputs for bias and accuracy.
2. Embed Accessibility and Inclusion from the Start: Make accessibility a core requirement in all content creation processes, leveraging AI to automate compliance and reach underserved groups.
3. Prioritize Explainability and Human Oversight: Combine AI-generated content with expert review, and develop tools to trace and explain how outputs are generated.
4. Establish Ethical Frameworks and Governance: Develop clear policies for the responsible use of generative AI, including privacy protections, transparency, and stakeholder engagement.
5. Foster Collaboration and Continuous Learning: Engage with cross-disciplinary teams—combining public health, data science, design, and community input—to iterate and improve AI-driven communication strategies.

The Road Ahead

Generative AI is not a panacea, but it is a powerful enabler for public health agencies seeking to do more with less—creating cost-effective, scalable, and personalized educational content that meets the needs of diverse audiences. By embracing these technologies thoughtfully and ethically, public health organizations can break through the noise, build trust, and deliver life-saving information when and where it matters most.

As the digital health revolution accelerates, the agencies that invest in data quality, accessibility, and ethical AI will be best positioned to lead the next era of public health education and communication—empowering communities and improving outcomes for all.