Chatbots for HIV prevention and care: a narrative review

Abstract

Purpose of Review To explore the intersection of chatbots and HIV prevention and care. Current applications of chatbots in HIV services, the challenges faced, recent advancements, and future research directions are presented and discussed. Recent Findings Chatbots facilitate sensitive discussions about HIV thereby promoting prevention and care strategies. Trustworthiness and accuracy of information were identifed as primary factors infuencing user engagement with chatbots. Additionally, the integration of AI-driven models that process and generate human-like text into chatbots poses both breakthroughs and challenges in terms of privacy, bias, resources, and ethical issues. Summary Chatbots in HIV prevention and care show potential; however, signifcant work remains in addressing associated ethical and practical concerns. The integration of large language models into chatbots is a promising future direction for their efective deployment in HIV services. Encouraging future research, collaboration among stakeholders, and bold innovative thinking will be pivotal in harnessing the full potential of chatbot interventions.