Summer course teaches positive use of AI and social media

Social media and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way public health information is created, shared, and understood. While both can pose challenges, they also offer powerful opportunities to improve health and reach people in new ways. 

That was the perspective explored by aspiring public health students this summer in a pre-college enrichment course at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. 

Dr. Mieka Smart, research associate professor in the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (SBPS) department and deputy director of the Tulane Health Equity Institute, and SBPS doctoral student Nadjean Sagesse led the course “Using Trends to Save Lives: AI-Supported Health Equity Social Media Content Creation.”

The course introduced students to AI, social media, and digital platforms and how they can intersect with public health and health equity -- emphasizing critical thinking and practical application.

“AI is now a part of all our daily lives, and social media has changed the landscape of how we receive information,” Smart said. “The potential for AI and social media to be valuable tools in public health must be weighed against the potential for them to do harm and exacerbate inequity.” 

“It was great to encourage the students to examine these issues and think more deeply about their society,” she added.

Throughout the week-long course, students conducted hands-on projects as they explored AI-related topics. 

A highlight was a vibe-coding session at bEHRconnect, located on historic Bayou Road in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. There, founder Kwame Terra taught the students to use Loveable to create apps and websites to solve health-related inequities.

Osa Adun, founder of online independent journalism site Noirlands, also hosted a discussion at the Community Book Center where students examined a spectrum of data center topics, including environmental justice, financing models, and noise pollution.

Several Tulane faculty and alumni supported the students’ learning. 

• Dr. Caryn Bell, assistant professor in SBPS, judged a debate on whether AI is an essential tool for achieving health equity. 
• Dr. Kristefer Stojanovski, research director for Partners for Advancing Health Equity, introduced the students to Elicit, an AI software that facilitates systematic reviews. 
• Dr. Paul Hutchinson, program director for the PhD in International Health and Sustainable Development, offered an overview of the many ways that Celia Scott Weatherhead School faculty and students are incorporating AI into their research. 
• Tulane law alumnus Damon Kirin, co-founder/CEO of Nola AI, simulated a pitch competition with the students, guiding them toward entrepreneurial solutions for health inequities.  

Students were also challenged to create AI-supported health communication materials related to cyclospora as they examined how technology can be used responsibly to improve community health.

The week ended with a visit to the AI exhibit at the National WWII museum, and a deeper appreciation for the issues surrounding modern technology and public health.