Is Generative AI Increasing the Risk for Technology-Mediated Trauma Among Vulnerable Populations?

The proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) has led to an increased reliance on AI-generated content for designing and deploying digital health interventions. While generative AI has the potential to facilitate and automate healthcare, there are concerns that AI-generated content and AI-generated health advice could trigger, perpetuate, or exacerbate prior traumatic experiences among vulnerable populations. In this discussion article, I examined how generative-AI-powered digital health interventions could trigger, perpetuate, or exacerbate emotional trauma among vulnerable populations who rely on digital health interventions as complementary or alternative sources of seeking health services or information. I then proposed actionable strategies for mitigating AI-generated trauma in the context of digital health interventions. The arguments raised in this article are expected to shift the focus of AI practitioners against prioritizing dominant narratives in AI algorithms into seriously considering the needs of vulnerable minority groups who are at the greatest risk for trauma but are often invisible in AI data sets, AI algorithms, and their resultant technologies.