Title : The impact of AI on the future of public health and preventative healthcare
Abstract:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining the future of public health and preventative healthcare. From early disease detection and personalised risk assessments to real-time surveillance and resource optimisation, AI is rapidly becoming a transformative force across health systems. This keynote will explore how AI-driven technologies are shifting the focus from reactive to proactive care—empowering populations, clinicians, and policymakers with predictive insights that were once inconceivable. We will examine emerging applications of AI in areas such as population health analytics, behavioural nudging, and the integration of data from wearable devices and social determinants of health. These tools are enabling more targeted interventions, improving health equity, and reducing the burden on overstretched healthcare systems. However, with opportunity comes responsibility. Ethical considerations, data privacy, algorithmic bias, and digital exclusion remain significant challenges that must be addressed to ensure that AI benefits all communities. Drawing on real-world examples and recent research, this session will also highlight how AI can support the global movement towards Lifestyle Medicine and personalised prevention. The talk will consider the evolving role of public health professionals in an AI-augmented future, and how cross-sector collaboration—between technologists, healthcare providers, public health leaders, and communities—will be essential for sustainable impact. Ultimately, the keynote will argue that AI, if guided by human values and equity-focused design, can be a powerful catalyst for healthier societies and a new era of preventative, precision public health.
