Kelly Merrill
Center Fellow, School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies
AI for All: Building Community Health Equity Through AI Literacy
Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly shapes access to health information, decision-making, and care delivery. Yet marginalized communities are often excluded from both the benefits and the design of AI systems. Thus, this project examines how community-based AI literacy initiatives can bridge these inequities. Using a mixed-methods approach, the project will include (1) a community survey exploring perceptions of AI and health, (2) co-created AI literacy workshops designed to empower participants to critically engage with AI tools, and (3) follow-up interviews assessing workshop impact and potential attitudinal/behavioral shifts. Findings will advance theory and practice in health communication, digital equity, and social justice, resulting in publishable work, a public-facing AI literacy toolkit, and a foundation for external grant proposals focused on AI and health equity.