Designing Ethical and Safe AI-Based Conversational Agents to Support Adolescent Mental and Sexual Health Knowledge Discovery Effectively

AI conversational agents are computer programs that talk with users using natural language. In healthcare, especially for teenagers, these agents provide a private and easy way to ask questions and get information. Teens often find it hard to talk about sensitive subjects like mental health or sexual health with parents, teachers, or doctors because they feel shy or scared of being judged. Conversational agents offer a safe space where they can learn by asking questions interactively.

Research by Jinkyung Park, Vivek Singh, and Pamela Wisniewski, shared at the CHI 2024 Workshop on Child-centred AI Design in Honolulu, Hawaii, shows that more teenagers use AI conversational agents to understand complex and private problems. These agents allow back-and-forth conversations like with a human. This helps teens ask better questions and understand answers more clearly. This is very important during adolescence — a key time for mental and physical health.

Critical Safety Concerns in AI Conversational Agents for Adolescent Health

Even with the benefits, using AI conversational agents for teen health has safety issues. Park and her team found risks like exposure to wrong or harmful information. Some agents without good safety checks have given advice that might encourage self-harm or wrong medical facts. This can make mental health worse instead of better.

For medical leaders and IT managers in the U.S., this is a serious concern. Healthcare groups need to make sure AI tools follow strict rules to block harmful content. The article says there should be safety “guardrails” — rules and systems that stop AI from giving bad advice. These could include:

• Using content moderation systems.
• Regularly updating and checking AI training data to remove harmful or biased info.
• Having human supervisors check risky answers.
• Making sure language is right for the age and easy to understand.

Without these safety steps, AI agents could hurt teen users and harm the reputation of healthcare providers.

Importance of Ethical Design and Development

Ethics are very important when making AI conversational agents for teen health. The research shows that these tools must protect user privacy, be clear about how they work, and handle sensitive information with care. Teens need to trust that their talks with AI are private and that their data won’t be shared without permission.

Ethical AI also means respecting the differences among teens. The agent should work differently for younger and older teens, considering age, thinking skills, and culture in the U.S. For example, the language and how topics are talked about should change with age. The AI’s responses should not judge users, should understand trauma, and follow current medical rules.

Healthcare leaders working with AI developers should ask for documents showing how ethics were included in the design. They should also ensure there are ongoing reviews about ethics during the AI system’s use.

Balancing Opportunities and Challenges in Deployment

Healthcare groups in the U.S. face choices when using AI conversational agents for teen mental and sexual health. On one side, these tools make information easier to reach, especially for teens in rural or low-access areas. Teens can get true facts and learn coping skills without feeling ashamed.

On the other side, medical administrators must handle risks like:

• How correct and updated is the information?
• Are answers suited to the teen’s age and needs?
• How is wrong information found and fixed?
• What happens if a user shows signs of urgent issues, like self-harm or abuse?

Park and her team call for ongoing talks between healthcare workers, AI makers, and rule-makers to improve AI safety and trustworthiness.

AI in Healthcare Workflow Automation: Enhancing Adolescent Health Support

Apart from talking directly to teens, AI conversational agents can also help in other parts of healthcare operations. Medical leaders and IT managers should think about how to add these systems safely into healthcare setups to make services better and involve patients more.

For example, AI agents can do simple front-office jobs like scheduling appointments or answering common questions. This lets staff focus more on patients who need extra help. Specifically for teen health education, AI can:

• Sort questions about mental or sexual health and send urgent cases to human experts.
• Give 24/7 access to approved health info, avoiding limits of office hours or staff shortages.
• Collect anonymous info from teen interactions to help doctors see health trends or new problems.
• Send reminders for mental health check-ups or sexual health screenings.

Using AI for these tasks can help U.S. medical offices become more efficient while keeping care standards high. But IT managers must keep patient info private, follow HIPAA rules, and keep data safe.

Supporting Vulnerable Populations Through Thoughtful AI Implementation

Teens are a group with special health needs. Using AI with them needs more than just technology skills. It requires understanding teen development, ethics, and medical rules.

The CHI 2024 Workshop paper shows that AI agents can help teens find health info well only if made with approaches that focus on their needs. For mental and sexual health topics, AI agents need to have:

• Clear limits on what advice they can give.
• Ways to connect users with human experts for complex or serious problems.
• Careful language that does not increase worry or stress.
• Ongoing checks from both doctors and teen users.

U.S. healthcare leaders should invest in AI projects that bring together AI experts, mental health professionals, and teen health specialists to make better tools.

Next Steps for Medical Administrators and IT Managers

Medical administrators and IT managers in the U.S. who want to use AI conversational agents for teen mental and sexual health should first do careful risk checks and examine vendors. Important points include:

• Making sure AI agents have passed safety tests and peer reviews.
• Being open about where the AI gets its health information and how current it is.
• Following laws about parental consent and involvement.
• Setting up ways for teens to ask for help or talk to humans if needed.
• Monitoring reports about how the AI performs, especially for bad outcomes.

Working with AI developers who take part in research meetings or workshops shows a focus on safety and ethics.

Summary of Critical Points for Healthcare Practices in the U.S.

• AI conversational agents help teens find mental and sexual health info through human-like talks.
• There are safety risks like wrong information or harmful advice that must be controlled carefully.
• Ethical development that fits teens’ needs is important for effective and respectful health support.
• Adding AI to healthcare work can make access better but requires strong data privacy and following rules.
• Healthcare workers, tech experts, and ethicists need to work together to create AI suitable for teens.
• Medical administrators should keep checking and reviewing AI to keep it safe and working well.

When used carefully and managed well, AI conversational agents can be useful tools for healthcare groups serving teens in the United States.

For U.S. healthcare administrators and IT managers, the challenge is to choose AI tools that balance access and safety. This way, these digital tools help teens stay healthy while handling the special ethical and practical questions this area needs.