GenAI is poised to transform content creation across text, image, audio, and video formats [46]. Its ability to generate humanlike responses based on prompts has created new opportunities for health promotion. Potential users of these tools include the general public, health researchers, practitioners, and health organizations [5-7,17].

A variety of GenAI tools are currently available, each with a specific focus, such as text generation, and audio, video, and image creation [5,9,46-50]. Table 2 provides a brief overview of some notable GenAI channels, their potential uses, target users, and the skill requirements for health-related purposes.

Traditionally, individuals communicated with health care professionals, family members, and friends for health-related purposes [51,52]. This communication provided immediate responses to health needs and allowed for follow-up questions. However, barriers included difficulties in reaching people in real time, time and cost constraints, limited understanding of health issues, and discomfort in discussing stigmatized health topics like addiction and sexually transmitted infections. The development of Web 2.0, social media, and mobile apps addressed many of these barriers [53-55]. These platforms offer health information from both individuals and professionals, enabling people to access information as needed, provided they possess the necessary technology, internet skills, and the ability to process web-based content [38,39].

Despite these advancements, existing mediums have limitations, such as the lack of interactive health information without human involvement, delayed responses, limited data for mobile app responses, difficulty understanding health information in specific contexts, and limited accessibility for non-English speakers. GenAI has the potential to overcome these barriers by providing interactive, real-time responses and personalized health information based on LLMs. GenAI’s ability to pass challenging exams (eg, the US Medical Licensing Exam and the USA Biology Olympiad Semi-Final Exam) underscores its capacity to deliver tailored responses aligned with human needs and inquiries [56].

Individuals can now fulfill various needs—such as health inquiries, image development, and health content creation—using GenAI tools, if they have access to these tools and effective prompt writing skills. The acceptance and use of this new technology can also be explored through theoretical frameworks.

The application of GenAI can be examined through the TAM2 and the uses and gratifications theory. TAM2 suggests that an individual’s acceptance or rejection of a system or technology depends on its perceived usefulness and ease of use [19]. Perceived usefulness is determined by factors such as the quality of the outcomes and the benefits provided, while perceived ease of use refers to how simple the technology is to operate, learn, and become proficient with, requiring minimal effort [57]. GenAI has demonstrated its usefulness by solving complex problems, generating humanlike responses to diverse inquiries, creating content, and acting as an assistant. As a result, health educators, medical professionals, and researchers have started incorporating these tools into their work. Consequently, the general public is increasingly likely to adopt GenAI for health purposes, such as obtaining personalized health information, interpreting health reports, and making informed health decisions.

The technology is also designed to be user-friendly, resembling the simplicity of a Google search. Major GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, are accessible with straightforward sign-up processes and offer basic services at no cost. The rapid adoption of this technology is evident from its widespread use. For example, since its launch on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT has amassed over 300 million users weekly, with 1 billion messages sent by its users on the platform each day [58]. In the United States, ChatGPT app downloads exceeded 32.6 million, and Gemini, launched on December 6, 2023, reached 12.67 million downloads by September 2024 [59]. However, realizing the full benefits of this technology often depends on the user’s prompt development skills.

The motives behind the widespread use of GenAI can be analyzed through the uses and gratifications theory [20]. According to this theory, individuals consciously select specific media to fulfill their needs. The primary motivations for using GenAI include its humanlike responsiveness, which addresses limitations in conventional internet-based communication; its ability to deliver tailored health information, unlike standard search engines that primarily return links; and its capacity to meet personalized health needs, such as seeking health information, diagnosing conditions, making health decisions, and creating health-related content. Additionally, the ability to use AI agent services for task completion motivates individuals, particularly health researchers, campaign designers, educators, and medical professionals, to integrate GenAI into their work.

Despite its significant potential, GenAI has limitations that may contribute to health disparities.

GenAI has several limitations, including its reliance on specific databases, difficulty in understanding users’ unique contexts, and individuals’ inability to fully use its benefits. Some of these limitations are discussed below:

GenAI relies on LLMs trained on data from sources such as Google, Wikipedia, and GitHub. However, because data on the internet can include inaccurate information and misinformation—often contributed by individuals without relevant expertise or oversight—LLM-based AI tools may generate inaccurate or biased responses. For example, researchers evaluated ChatGPT-4’s health-related information in the field of radiology and found that only 65% of the information was accurate [11]. Similarly, while the same tool passed the medical licensing exam, it achieved a passing mark of approximately 60% [56], suggesting a potential inaccuracy or bias rate of over 30%.

Personalized health care relies on various factors specific to an individual’s health condition, typically assessed through diagnostic methods such as pulse checks, blood pressure readings, blood tests, x-rays, and cultural considerations. While GenAI tools can provide health suggestions based on detailed prompts or text inputs, their recommendations are derived from universal datasets, which may not always be applicable to personalized care [9]. Furthermore, GenAI has limitations in understanding individual cultural and racial contexts [60], which are critical for determining health care needs and preferences. As a result, researchers recommend verifying GenAI-generated outputs with qualified health care professionals to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Health literacy, the ability to assess information accuracy, and knowledge of reliable sources are essential for individuals to evaluate specific health information and use it effectively [61]. Individuals who possess these skills can maximize the benefits of GenAI technology. However, racial and ethnic minority groups, who often experience lower levels of health literacy and lack the skills needed to evaluate health information, may be disproportionately deprived of these technological advantages.

Although 95% of American adults have internet access [62], many individuals with lower health literacy, language barriers, or limited financial resources face challenges in accessing the full benefits of GenAI tools. These tools often require paid subscriptions to unlock advanced features and enhanced accuracy. For instance, ChatGPT Plus, a subscription-based version, delivers more accurate outputs compared with the free version, ChatGPT 3.5 [10].

The quality of GenAI output is highly dependent on effective prompt development, which involves crafting precise text inputs for the tools [8]. Individuals proficient in prompt development—using techniques such as open-ended questions and using relevant keywords—can maximize the benefits of this technology. Conversely, individuals with lower levels of education, poor health literacy, or limited technological proficiency may struggle to harness its potential benefits, leaving them at a disadvantage.