Artificial intelligence in public health : lessons from the European public health conference

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise for advancing public health functions. This article, drawing on discussions from Plenary 1 at the European Public Health Conference 2024, considers some ways in which AI is already used in public health, including for health promotion, surveillance and protection, population health assessment, disease and injury prevention, emergency prediction, preparedness and response, and resource optimisation. It also explores what actions need to be taken in the future to help ensure AI is meaningfully embedded in public health practice, and to overcome key challenges such as ensuring equity, avoiding biases, maintaining trust, and safeguarding privacy.