Artificial Intelligence & Digital Public Health SIG
SIG Background
Digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) offer profound opportunities to improve health and wellbeing, while also generating new and exacerbating known health harms, and raising challenging ethical and policy questions. All areas of public health practice (health security, health promotion, and healthcare) have the potential to be radically changed.
The AI & Digital Public Health Special Interest Group (SIG) was established in 2024 to develop broad cross-cutting perspectives of the impact, opportunities, and potential harms arising from the use of new digital technologies in society and in public health practice.
Vision and Aims
The SIG will provide Faculty of Public Health leadership for AI and Digital. It will support the advancement of safe, ethical, and responsible digital tools and their application to transform public health and population health systems, to better prevent disease, protect and promote health, and reduce inequalities in health across the UK and internationally.
The AI and Digital Public Health SIG has a dual focus:
- Aim 1: Accelerate the application of trustworthy, responsible, and ethical AI and digital solutions in public health practice.
- Aim 2: Advocate for public health principles (e.g. social justice, equity, collective responsibility) in the advancement and regulation of AI and frontier technologies.
Functions
The SIG will work towards its vision and aims by:
- Acting as an expert resource to the FPH, its members, and the public.
- Convening FPH members championing digital innovation in public health to share best practice, resources, and advice.
- Fostering innovative partnerships and collaborations to bring diverse perspectives, domain expertise, and extend public health influence in digital spaces.
- Develop educational resources for FPH members to keep up to date with new technology for effective public health practice.
How the SIG works
View this page for further details on:
- Aims of the SIG
- How to get involved
- Structure and processes
- Reporting requirements
Contact us
The co-chairs of the SIG are:
- Alisha Davies: alisha.davies@wales.nhs.uk
- Samantha (Sam) Field: samanthafield@nhs.net
- Elliot Roy-Highley: Elliott.Roy-Highley@nhs.net
The AI and Digital Public Health SIG reports to the Health Improvement Committee (HIC).
Join the SIG
FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.
Consultation responses
Webinar recordings
Faculty members can visit the FPH Members Portal to watch webinar recordings.
Workplan
View our SIG activities for both workstreams in the drop down boxes below.
Relates to Aim 1: Accelerate the application of safe, responsible, and ethical AI and digital solutions to public health problems.
The AI and Digital Public Health SIG is currently undertaking the following activities. If you would like to contribute to any activity, please email AIDigitalPH_SIG@fph.org.uk.
Activity 1: Shaping Practice (policy)
The SIG is developing a policy guidance document 'FPH Principles for Using AI in Public Health'. We are seeking members to contribute to this activity.
Activity 2: Shaping Practice (research)
SIG members, in collaboration with UCL academics, are conducting a systematic review on 'Reporting of Climate Impacts of AI in Healthcare.'
Activity 3: Shaping Practice (events)
The SIG chairs organise a regular Public Health Debate Series of webinars, hosted by The Alan Turing Institute Public Health AI SIG
The SIG chairs organise quarterly SIG member meetings focussed on developing Public Health AI in Practice and co-ordinating SIG activities.
Activity 4: Support digital literacy (research):
The SIG has conducted a survey of FPH members (FPH AI Needs Assessment Survey) to understand the current and future hopes for AI in public health. Results will be published shortly.
Activity 5: Support digital literacy (resources):
The SIG will develop CPD Quick Guides on the practical applications of AI in daily public health practice, focussing on key areas identified in by the members survey. We are seeking members to contribute to this activity.
Activity 6: Support digital literacy (policy):
The SIG will input into the FPH curriculum review consultation. We are seeking members to contribute to this activity.
Relates to aim 2: Advocate for public health principles in the advancement and regulation of AI and frontier technologies.
The AI and Digital Public Health SIG is currently undertaking the following activities. If you would like to contribute to any activity, please AIDigitalPH_SIG@fph.org.uk.
Activity 1: Collaborate (proactive)
The SIG will undertake a stakeholder mapping and seek to build external partnerships. We are seeking members to contribute to this activity.
Activity 2: Collaborate (reactive)
The SIG chairs represent the Faculty at relevant events and meetings.
Activity 3: Advocate for public health principles in digital policy, strategy, and regulation (reactive):
The SIG will respond to consultations relevant to the use or impacts of AI and digital on the health of the public. This is a reactive activity - callouts will be sent to all SIG members to invite contributions to consultation responses.
Activity 4: Advocate for public health principles in digital policy, strategy, and regulation (proactive):
AI-related harms: misinformation. Formation of a social media and misinformation working group to develop the SIG’s misinformation workplan for 2025. We are seeking members to contribute to this activity.
