WHO launches AI-powered digital health promoter prototype

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched S.A.R.A.H., a digital health promoter prototype with enhanced empathetic response powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI).

S.A.R.A.H. is a Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health that represents an evolution of AI-powered health information avatars, using new language models and “cutting-edge technology”. It can engage users 24 hours a day in eight languages on multiple health topics, on any device.

Supported by Soul Machines Biological AI, the new tool is trained to provide information across major health topics, including healthy habits and mental health, to help people optimise their health and wellbeing journey. It aims to provide an additional tool for people to realise their rights to health, wherever they are.

The tool, also known as Sarah, has the ability to support people in developing better understanding of risk factors for some of the leading causes of death in the world, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. She can help people access up-to-date information on quitting tobacco, being active, eating a healthy diet and de-stressing, among other things.

“The future of health is digital, and supporting countries to harness the power of digital technologies for health is a priority for WHO,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “S.A.R.A.H. gives us a glimpse of how artificial intelligence could be used in future to improve access to health information in a more interactive way. I call on the research community to help us continue to explore how this technology could narrow inequities and help people access up-to-date, reliable health information.”

S.A.R.A.H. is now powered by generative AI rather than a preset algorithm or script helping her to provide more accurate responses in real time, engage in dynamic personalised conversations at scale that more accurately mirror human interactions and provide nuanced, empathetic responses to users in a judgment-free environment.

WHO calls for continued research on this new technology to explore potential benefits to public health and to better understand the challenges. While AI has enormous potential to strengthen public health, it also raises important ethical concerns, including equitable access, privacy, safety and accuracy, data protection, and bias.

Previous iterations of S.A.R.A.H. were used, under the name Florence, to disseminate critical public health messages during the COVID-19 pandemic on the virus, vaccines, tobacco use, healthy eating and physical activity.

WHO continues to use many digital tools and channels to disseminate and amplify health information including social media, chatbots, channels and text messaging.

Image credit: iStock.com/imaginima