Cory COVID-Bot: An Evidence-Based Behavior Change Chatbot for COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Artificial Intelligence
• Health Communication

Background:

• Effective communication of COVID-19 safe behaviors is crucial for public health.
• Reaching young, culturally, and linguistically diverse populations with health guidelines presents a significant challenge for governments.
• Existing communication strategies often struggle to engage these specific demographics effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce Cory COVID-Bot, an AI-powered chatbot designed to facilitate the transition to COVID normal.
• To address the communication gap in disseminating COVID-19 safety guidelines to hard-to-reach populations.
• To provide accessible and updated information in English and Vietnamese to promote safe behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Development of an artificial intelligence chatbot, Cory COVID-Bot.
• Multisector collaboration in the design and implementation of the chatbot.
• Deployment of the chatbot to engage with young, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities.

Main Results:

• Cory COVID-Bot directly engages with difficult-to-reach populations.
• The chatbot provides updated recommendations and behavior change interventions in English and Vietnamese.
• Aims to resolve public ambiguity and uncertainty regarding public health guidelines.

Conclusions:

• AI chatbots like Cory COVID-Bot can be effective tools for public health communication.
• Direct engagement with diverse communities can improve adherence to COVID-19 safe behaviors.
• Innovative technological solutions are needed to overcome traditional barriers in health outreach.