Knox Health Commissioner Zach Green told the Board of Commissioners on March 5 that the county agency is working with partners to develop training for teens on the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
"It's a tool. And how do we begin implementing a win in particular? Are we implementing that into our K through 12 populations? And how do we educate the guidelines associated with that? Like anything, you take a tool, you can use it for bad or for worse," Green said.
Green also stated that the Knox Public Health's Behavioral Health Committee is working with New Directions with the Teen Advisory Council to create a form base and to create tool kits to take to the communities for training in breakouts this summer. He warned that though AI has a lot of opportunity built in, it is designed so that false affirmations are likely.
Commissioner Drenda Keesee said AI needs regulations when people can take someone's face and voice to make a video of that person making statements they never said and taking actions they didn't do. It could be dangerous in that way, and by telling young people to do something nefarious.
Commissioner Barry Lester wondered if students in K-12 using AI instead of doing the research themselves could slow the mental process.
Green added that anything enabling like that minimizes an individual's critical thinking. In his day they had Cliff Notes as a "cheat" to avoid reading books. He noted he's not an educator, but he has seen some going back to books and paper.
Shifting from education to public health, Green also provided updates on local issues during the meeting. Knox County has recorded 201 influenza cases in the first eight weeks of the season, including 19 hospitalizations. In January, the county confirmed 12 cases of Lyme disease. Despite heavy snowfall, Green cautioned that residents remain at risk.
Deer ticks are active even in winter, though less so than in warmer months. Green urged anyone bitten by a tick to bring it to the Health Department, particularly if the tick is intact, so staff can identify the species. If it is a black-legged deer tick, officials recommend follow-up care with a primary provider.
Because nymph-stage ticks are so small, most people who contract Lyme disease never realize they were bitten. While ticks cannot be tested for disease, monitoring symptoms and seeking prompt medical care is essential. Green stressed that early detection and timely treatment with antibiotics are critical to preventing chronic complications.
