Advances in artificial intelligence empowering early-stage human health: Current landscape and future directions
Published in The Innovation, 2025
Nana Zheng, Xinyu Zhang, Chao Li, Forrest Tin Wai Cheung, Xiaoqing Hu, Jihui Zhang, Hongliang Feng
Abstract
While healthcare providers have used computer-aided programs since the 1950s, artificial intelligence (AI) in health promotion has only recently flourished, driven by advances in large language models (LLMs), discriminative machine learning, and multimodal foundation models. Fueled by growing data and computing power, AI now excels in drug development, diagnostic support, and AI-assisted surgery. The ancient Eastern concept of “preventing disease before it occurs” and modern preventive medicine both aim to safeguard health through early proactive intervention. Amid global aging and rising incidence of complex chronic diseases, which are often hard to treat once developed, early health promotion is increasingly crucial. Studies suggest AI tools hold great promise for reshaping early-stage health promotion, yet this field faces distinctive challenges, and its future development pathways warrant in-depth considerations.
Recommended citation: Zheng, N., Zhang, X., Li, C., Cheung, F. T. W., Hu, X., Zhang, J., & Feng, H. (2025). Advances in artificial intelligence empowering early-stage human health: Current landscape and future directions. The Innovation.
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