PH 1498
AI Governance in Public Health
AI is the most rapidly adopted technology in history, and many claim it will be the most influential.
The pressing question is whether we can come together—as communities, organizations, and nations—to govern AI as it weaves its way through society.
Whether you're excited about AI's potential or deeply worried about its risks, this course welcomes your perspective—because both instincts are right.
AI holds great promise, but it also carries enormous risk. Effective AI governance requires holding both of these truths at the same time and thinking critically about how to reconcile them.
In this course, you'll learn to use AI tools more effectively and—just as importantly—to think critically about how AI should be used in public health.
Through hands-on experience with AI tools, analysis of real-world cases, and discussion of emerging policy frameworks, you'll build expertise in both using AI and evaluating where it serves public health and where it falls short. As public health organizations scramble to adapt to the AI era, that expertise will put you ahead of the curve.
Sample Class Topics:
1. Class Introduction & Practical Tips for Using AI
Connect with peers and learn about how to use AI more effectively in work and life.
2. Categories of AI: Generative, Predictive, Physical, and Agentic
Survey the major categories of AI technologies and their emerging relevance to mental and public health.
3. How AI Learns and Why It Fails
Explore how AI models are trained and the failures (e.g., bias, hallucinations) that can arise from training.
4. Model Interpretability
Examine tools and approaches for understanding and explaining how AI systems make decisions.
5. Data Privacy and Security
Consider the implications of using sensitive personal data in AI systems, especially in medical or health contexts.
6. Guardrails and Monitoring for Deployed AI
Review strategies for overseeing AI systems after deployment to ensure they remain safe, ethical, and effective.
7. Legal and Policy Regulations—State, National, Global
Analyze current and emerging regulatory frameworks that govern the development and use of AI.
8. AI for Screening and Diagnosis of Illness
Assess the opportunities and limitations of AI tools designed to detect and classify health conditions.
9. AI Therapy and Digital Interventions
Evaluate the growing landscape of AI-powered therapeutic tools and their implications for care delivery.
10. AI for Health Promotion
Explore how AI can support physical and mental health at the population level.
11. Governing AI Companions and Digital Relationships
Investigate the psychological and social implications of AI-driven relationships and virtual companionship.
12. Policy Responses to AI-Driven Labor Disruption
Discuss how shifts in employment due to AI may affect population health and what policies can minimize issues.
14. AI Alignment, Safety, and the Future of Civilization
Engage with long-term questions about how to ensure that powerful AI systems remain beneficial to humanity.
Join Us This Fall
Who: UTHealth MPH, PhD, and DrPH students
When: Thursdays 9:00 - 11:50 am
Where: In-person at Austin location or virtual
Questions? Reach out to michael.mrazek@uth.tmc.edu