AI-Powered Research Aims To Protect Young Adults From Tobacco Addiction

Every year, hundreds of thousands of kids and young adults take their first puff of an e-cigarette – oblivious that this small choice could lead to a lifetime of tobacco addiction. University of Florida researchers are working to change that by using artificial intelligence to pinpoint which young people are most at risk – before they ever start. 

The PreventiGators, a team of graduate students and their faculty mentors from the University of Florida’s Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, earned national recognition for their use of AI to address tobacco use risk. Their analysis of 3,950 youth and emerging adults used machine learning via UF’s supercomputer, HiPerGator, to predict which U.S. youth might be most vulnerable to becoming tobacco users in adulthood by looking at individual behaviors, community influences, and digital environments – including social media use – to predict future behavior. 

Read more about AI-Powered Research Aims To Protect Young Adults From Tobacco Addiction.