Artificial General Intelligence and Its Threat to Public Health

Richard C. Armitage

doi:10.1111/jep.70269

journal article Open Access Sep 01, 2025

Artificial General Intelligence and Its Threat to Public Health

Richard C. Armitage

Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice Vol. 31 No. 6 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/jep.70269

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied across healthcare and public health, with evidence of benefits including enhanced diagnostics, predictive modelling, operational efficiency, medical education, and disease surveillance.However, potential harms – such as algorithmic bias, unsafe recommendations, misinformation, privacy risks, and sycophantic reinforcement – pose challenges to safe implementation.Far less attention has been directed to the public health threats posed by artificial general intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical form of AI with human‐level or greater cognitive capacities.

Objective
This article explores the benefits and harms of current AI systems, introduces AGI and its distinguishing features, and examines the threats AGI could pose to public health and humanity's survival.

Discussion
Unlike ‘narrow’ AI, AGI could autonomously learn, generalise across domains, and self‐improve, potentially achieving superintelligence with unpredictable behaviours.AGI threatens public health through two broad categories: (1) misuse, where adversaries deploy AGI for cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, or to develop chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons; and (2) misalignment, where poorly aligned AGI pursues goals in harmful ways, leading to loss of human control, erosion of autonomy, and potentially existential risk.The population‐level consequences include widespread unemployment, reduced trust in health systems, catastrophic biological threats, and risks to human survival.

Conclusion
Healthcare and public health professionals have a critical role in framing AGI risks as health threats, building coalitions akin to historic movements against nuclear war, and collaborating with AI researchers, ethicists, and policymakers.Leveraging their expertise, trust, and global networks, these professionals can help ensure that AI development prioritises human wellbeing and safeguards humanity's future.

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Details

Published: Sep 01, 2025
Vol/Issue: 31(6)
License: View

Authors

R

Richard C. Armitage

Academic Unit of Population and Lifespan Sciences, School of Medicine, Nottingham City Hospital Campus University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building Nottingham UK

Cite This Article

Richard C. Armitage (2025). Artificial General Intelligence and Its Threat to Public Health. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 31(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.70269

Artificial General Intelligence and Its Threat to Public Health

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