AI-generated image (Google Gemini AI)
The Medical Humanities Research Institute is pleased to announce an exciting development in our focus on trustworthy health AI- the establishment of the Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation (CHHAIN). This initiative is jointly led with the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine.
Supported by a $500,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and additional funding from Genentech, CHHAIN's mission is to embed humanities research into the development of trustworthy health AI. This three-year initiative will serve as the foundation for transformative research work exploring how humanities-based insights, particularly those grounded in ethics, history, and patient narratives, can shape the future of AI in healthcare in a manner that meaningfully benefits all stakeholders in the patient care journey. Our goal is to foster a collaborative environment where scholars, patients, clinicians, and developers can work together to ensure that as AI is integrated into clinical care, it respects patient autonomy, addresses the needs of underserved communities, and results in meaningful improvement in patient health outcomes.
In connection with this new center, the Medical Humanities Program at Rice will be offering courses that connect undergraduate students and graduate student TAs to the work of CHHAIN, thus providing them with research and learning opportunities that will foster a fluency in the dual languages of AI and the humanities.
As we undertake this groundbreaking initiative, we want to establish and share our long-term vision. In addition to being a rewarding collaboration, we hope that CHHAIN will serve as a framework for the design and implementation of health AI in diverse medical contexts across the globe. For further details, I invite you to read the recent articles covering this announcement:
The Rice Thresher: Baylor and Rice collaborate on AI humanities center