The Developing AI Policies for Public Health Organizations webinar took place on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT via Zoom.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) had existed for decades, but it gained widespread attention in 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI. This development sparked significant interest in the potential of generative AI (GenAI) and other AI technologies, particularly in public health. However, many public health entities—including nonprofits and government agencies—approached AI cautiously or avoided it altogether due to limited technical expertise, unclear guidelines, and concerns about its implications.
This webinar introduced attendees to the new Developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policies for Public Health Organizations: A Template and Guidance, designed specifically to help public health organizations create policies that encouraged ethical AI experimentation to improve efficiency, enhance the quality of work, and advance organizational goals. Developed through a collaboration between the Kansas Health Institute, Health Resources in Action, and Wichita State University’s Community Engagement Institute—with funding from the CDC Public Health Infrastructure Grant—the template provided evidence-informed recommendations and examples to support organizations in crafting responsible AI policies.
Participants gained an in-depth understanding of the template, including:
- Approaches that addressed bias mitigation, transparency, and other key issues.
- Sample provisions and hypothetical use cases to demonstrate real-world applications..
- Strategies for building a thoughtful rationale for adopting AI in public health.
The webinar also provided an overview of the template’s development process, including lessons learned from using AI tools for an environmental scan and literature review. Presenters shared insights to help attendees understand the template’s practical applications and potential limitations.
Event recording posted below.
