Artificial intelligence and health literacy—proceed with caution

Abstract

Improved access to AI platforms has prompted greater awareness of their potential application in public health and healthcare. Although the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends in the use of digital health technologies, our understanding of the potential of AI to assist with patient and public health communication is still limited. This paper examines both actual and potential use of AI platforms in improving health literacy through an examination of current scientific literature and an “interview” with ChatGPT on health literacy. Although AI platforms can answer health questions using natural, accessible language and have the potential to greatly expand access to information, current limitations stem from derivative content and the potential for inaccuracies and amplification of misinformation. Patients and consumers vary considerably in their access to digital technology; in their skills to discriminate the accuracy and reliability of information; and in their trust and responsiveness to what digital technologies have to offer. At this stage in the evolution of the AI platforms requires significant human, professional leadership and judgement. Those of us engaged in improving health literacy have an important role to play in influencing the future direction of AI in health communication, including and especially by engaging in research and development activities that build evidence of effectiveness and support the development of health literacy skills alongside the expansion of technologies.

Keywords:

• Health literacy
• artificial intelligence
• health communication
• digital health literacy
• patient education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 eHealth literacy has most often been used as a term to describe the use of digital media skills in health care, while digital health literacy has been used as a more generic term encompassing the broader skill set required to make optimal use of a range of digital resources. For convenience, this paper uses the more generic term digital health literacy.

2 Definitions developed with assistance from ChatGPT (accessed August 1, 2023) and the Glossary of AI Terms found here: https://www.expert.ai/glossary-of-ai-terms/? (accessed August 1, 2023).