Generative AI Opportunities for Personal Health
Shaan Chopra is a doctoral student in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. She conducts research at the intersection Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Health to create inclusive technologies that help people better understand, experiment, and make decisions based on personal health data. In this Toolbox series she will present her research article:
Abstract: Personal informatics processes require navigating distinct challenges across stages of tracking, but the range of data, goals, expertise, and context that individuals bring to self-tracking often presents barriers that undermine those processes. We investigate the potential of Generative AI (GAI) to support people across stages of pursuing self-tracking for health. We conducted interview and observation sessions with 19 participants from the United States who self-track for health, examining how they interact with GAI around their personal health data. Participants formulated and refined queries, reflected on recommendations, and abandoned queries that did not meet their needs and health goals. They further identified opportunities for GAI support across stages of self-tracking, including in deciding what data to track and how, in defining and modifying tracking plans, and in interpreting data-driven insights. We discuss GAI opportunities in accounting for a range of health goals, in providing support for self-tracking processes across planning, reflection, and action, and in consideration of limitations of embedding GAI in health self-tracking tools.