Role and Use of Race in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Models Related to Health.

Journal: Journal of medical Internet research
Published Date: Jul 31, 2025

Abstract

The role and use of race within health-related artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models have sparked increasing attention and controversy. Despite the complexity and breadth of related issues, a robust and holistic framework to guide stakeholders in their examination and resolution remains lacking. This perspective provides a broad-based, systematic, and crosscutting landscape analysis of race-related challenges, structured around the AI and ML life cycle and framed through "points to consider" to support inquiry and decision-making.

Authors

  • Martin C Were
    Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA eowere@mu.ac.ke martin.c.were@vumc.org youngkim@purdue.edu.
  • Ang Li
    Section of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: ang.li2@bcm.edu.
  • Bradley A Malin
    Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
  • Zhijun Yin
    Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.
  • Joseph R Coco
    Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Suite 750, 2525 West End Ave, Nashville, TN, United States, 1 6153229374.
  • Benjamin X Collins
    Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, TN 37203, United States.
  • Ellen Wright Clayton
    Law School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, United States.
  • Laurie L Novak
    Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
  • Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup
    National Alliance Against Disparities in Patient Health, Woodbridge, VA, United States.
  • Abiodun O Oluyomi
    Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
  • Shilo Anders
    Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.
  • Chao Yan
    School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.

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