Physical inactivity, poor diet, inadequate sleep, and excessive screen time are major modifiable contributors to chronic disease, mental health problems, and premature mortality worldwide. Despite decades of investment in public health interventions, sustained population-level improvements in these lifestyle behaviours have been limited, reflecting their complexity and deep embedding within daily routines shaped by individual, social, and environmental factors. New approaches are therefore needed to complement traditional public health strategies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers emerging opportunities to support lifestyle behaviour change through scalable, personalized, and timely interventions. By learning from large data streams, AI systems can deliver tailored recommendations, anticipate behaviour lapses, and provide real-time nudges that are difficult to achieve through human-led approaches alone. However, the use of AI in public health also raises important concerns related to equity, bias, privacy, and overreliance on automated systems.
This commentary argues that proactive engagement by the public health community is essential to ensure AI is developed and applied ethically and effectively. When integrated thoughtfully, AI can enhance—not replace—human judgment, link individuals to community resources, and support healthier daily behaviours while maintaining trust, equity, and evidence-based practice.
Researchers
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Jean-Philippe Chaput
Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute
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Gary Goldfield
Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute
