ASPPH Chief Information Officer Ed Ruiz joined the AI & Public Health luncheon panel at the Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA) 2026 Annual Conference, held September 24–25 at Reynolds Community College in Richmond. The conference brought together public health professionals, academics, and students from across the Commonwealth under the theme Healthy, Together: Strengthening Public Health across the Commonwealth.

Facilitated by Maurice C. Johnson Jr., PhD, MPH, the panel brought together experts from public health practice, academia, and health care to explore three key questions: what artificial intelligence promises public health, where it warrants caution, and what training the workforce needs.

Ed shared the ASPPH Artificial Intelligence Framework, released in June, as a starting point for the conversation. He highlighted the Framework’s call for educational transformation, including embedding AI literacy, human judgment, and digital ethics into public health education and cultivating “bridge professionals” who can connect technical understanding with public health practice.

Ed also recently joined Omari Richins, MPH, on the Public Health Careers Podcast for “AI Is Changing Public Health. Are We Ready?” Their conversation explores many of these same themes, including responsible AI adoption, human oversight, data governance, and preparing the next generation for an AI-enabled workforce. Members are encouraged to listen to or watch the episode to hear more from Ed on the opportunities and considerations surrounding AI in public health.

Learn more about the ASPPH AI Framework and its executive summary, and visit the Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA) to learn more about its work.