Generative artificial intelligence could take years off the time between identifying public health risks and launching impactful mass media campaigns. A University of Queensland study revealed AI-generated vaping awareness ads co-designed with young people, were perceived as equally or more effective than advertisements created by official health agencies.

Associate Professor Gary Chung Kai Chan from UQ’s National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research said 600 people aged 16-25 from across Australia took part in the study examining ads aimed at reducing youth vaping. Mass media campaigns have been vital in shifting population health behaviour, Dr Chan said. But developing effective campaigns are time consuming and there’s often a critical time lag between the surfacing of the problem and a health agency’s response.

Our study found if we use AI co-designed with youth to develop effective vaping awareness ads, we can potentially expedite delays associated with the development of health communications. We can see this in Australia, for example, where harms associated with vaping were first warned in 2018, yet the first mass media campaign wasn’t launched until 2021. Dr Chan said the methodology of co-designing AI ads could be applied to a range of other health problems. GenAI is a type of AI that can quickly create individual images and text, allowing agencies to respond quicker to rising health challenges.

Individuals assessed 50 advertisements each – 25 which were AI-generated and co-designed with youth, and 25 pre-existing ads from official health agencies. The participants were randomly told that the advertisements were made with AI; made by the World Health Organization;, made with AI by the World Health Organization; or no source label.

Source: https://news.uq.edu.au/2025-08-ai-supports-quicker-responses-emerging-public-health-risks