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Can AI spot harmful health side effects on social media?

This AI tool scanned past Reddit posts to detect ill effects from cannabis

Several social media app icons on a screen, including ones for Reddit, Facebook and TikTok.

A recent experiment demonstrated that AI can scan social media conversations to help public health workers find harmful outcomes, in this case of cannabis use.

Ralph Olazo/Unsplash

By Kathryn Hulick

“Help me please … I can’t calm down without laying on the ground and freaking out for a good 20 minutes … Should I get medical help?”

This plea came from a post on the social media site Reddit.