By Hannah O’Keefe, Research Associate, NIHR Innovation Observatory
At the NIHR Innovation Observatory, we work every day to spot the health innovations that are just around the corner such as emerging medicines, devices, and technologies that could transform care. Horizon scanning helps us identify these developments early so that decision makers across the NHS and wider health system can be prepared, responsive, and forward thinking.
As part of my PhD at Newcastle University, supported by NIHR Innovation Observatory, I am exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used and can be used more transparently and responsibly in horizon scanning for health and social care research. From machine learning algorithms to language models like ChatGPT, AI is offering new ways to collect, sort, and analyse vast volumes of data. But with such potential comes the need to ask important questions about clarity, trust, and ethical practice.
This research is my way of asking those questions and importantly, listening to what the community thinks.
Why is this needed?
Many research fields now have reporting standards with clear frameworks that help build trust by ensuring researchers explain their work in a consistent, understandable way. There is currently no established standard for reporting the use of AI in horizon scanning. Through this study, I hope to explore whether such a standard would be useful, and what it might look like.
Your feedback will help identify the kinds of information researchers should share when they use AI and how much detail is needed to make those methods clear and trustworthy. While this study is part of my PhD, its findings could inform how AI is introduced into future NIHR Innovation Observatory processes.
Who should take part?
This survey is open to anyone involved in producing horizon scans or using their outputs. You don’t need to be an AI expert or even a regular user of AI. In fact, I would love to hear from those who don’t use AI and want to share their reasons.
Whether you have interacted with AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, worked with other large language models (LLMs) or machine learning libraries like Scikit-learn, or decided not to use AI at all, please share your views!
What does the survey involve?
The questionnaire takes around 25 minutes and includes two sets of questions:
- About your role in horizon scanning and your use (or non-use) of AI.
- Your thoughts on how AI should be reported and explained in health research.
All responses are anonymous. No personal data that could identify you will be collected, and you are free to exit at any point before submitting.
Why your input matters?
This study is an opportunity to explore the values, expectations, and concerns that people hold about AI in health research. Your insights will contribute to a deeper understanding of how we can introduce AI responsibly into horizon scanning and foresight work and potentially shaping future practice within the Innovation Observatory and beyond.
If you have 25 minutes to spare, I’d be grateful for your voice in this conversation.
Thank you for being part of this conversation.
