We Want to Hear from You: What’s Working at the Intersection of AI and Health

AI is moving fast in healthcare and public health, often faster than our ability to evaluate it. New tools are showing up everywhere: helping clinicians make decisions, reducing administrative burden, strengthening disease surveillance, and accelerating research.

But in conversations with health leaders and practitioners, we keep hearing the same concern: there's a real gap between what AI can do in a demo and what holds up in practice for real populations, under real constraints.

So what actually works? For whom? Under what conditions? And how do we make sure these tools are reliable, fair, privacy-protecting, and worthy of trust?

To help answer those questions, AIR is launching a Request for Information (RFI) on Advancing Health Innovation Through Artificial Intelligence. We're inviting researchers, practitioners, health systems, technology developers, community-based organizations, and others to share promising concepts and research directions for using AI to strengthen health systems, address disparities, and improve population health outcomes.

This is an early, open call. We want to learn what's emerging and help shape what comes next.

What We're Looking For

A strong submission does not need to be long or polished. The most helpful responses clearly describe:

• The problem you're addressing
• The AI approach you're proposing (and the data or methods it draws on)
• Any early evidence or results
• How you're thinking about responsible AI considerations
• How you'd most like to partner with AIR, whether that is joint research, pilot testing, evaluation, or policy translation

Your response can focus on one area or cut across multiple:

• Health Research and Evidence Generation
• Healthcare Delivery and Clinical Operations
• Public Health Systems and Population Health
• Access and Community Impact
• Responsible AI and Governance
• Emerging Technology Horizons

If you're unsure whether your idea is a fit, we still encourage you to submit. We're using this RFI to learn what's emerging across the field.

What Happens After You Submit

AIR staff and a review committee of external experts will review all submissions. We will notify respondents by May 19, 2026. Some ideas will be invited to advance to a next-stage RFP process, and others may lead to collaboration opportunities outside of that path.

Either way, responses will directly inform how AIR shapes its AI-in-health research agenda. Even if your concept is early, it is worth sharing.

We're genuinely excited to see what's out there. Submit your idea, and let's figure out together what's worth building.

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Joseph P. Wilson is managing director of AI at AIR, where he leads AIR's artificial intelligence strategy. An applied researcher with a background spanning engineering, public health, and education, he has served as PI or co-PI on nine NSF-funded research projects and is committed to using rigorous evidence to guide responsible, effective AI in real-world settings. He is based in San Francisco.