Governing AI in Public Health: Legal, Ethical, and Policy Considerations

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in public health is driving transformative advancements in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. However, these developments also raise critical legal, ethical, and policy challenges that require careful examination. Concerns about privacy, data security, algorithmic bias, and the ethical implications of automated decision-making in healthcare are increasingly pressing. Furthermore, issues of liability, accountability, and the equitable deployment of AI within public health infrastructures continue to spark debate.

This Research Topic seeks to explore the evolving relationship between AI, public health law, and ethics. It aims to critically assess existing legal frameworks, ethical guidelines, and policy responses governing AI in public health while identifying regulatory gaps and proposing solutions to ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI.

We invite original research, theoretical and conceptual papers, policy analyses, and case studies that engage with, but are not limited to, the following themes:

- Ethical and human rights challenges in AI-driven public health interventions.

- Regulatory and policy landscapes governing AI applications in public health, including comparative legal perspectives.

- Case studies and empirical research on the use of AI in public health, highlighting legal and ethical implications.

- AI's influence on public health governance, including its role in shaping policies and decision-making processes.

- Future directions for legal, ethical, and policy frameworks to address emerging AI technologies in public health.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: AI, public health, policy, law, ethics, artificial intelligence

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.