Beyond the Interface: AI Chatbots, Informal Care, and Digital Health Risks in the Western Balkans

Presented by Melihate Limani, PhD student in Health Information Science as part of the FIMS Mediations Lecture Series. All are welcome.

Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link

Abstract: AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT are increasingly used to access medical advice. In the Western Balkans, a region marked by high rates of selfmedication, low trust in health institutions, and limited digital health literacy, these tools are becoming available without clear safeguards. This paper presents the first comparative analysis of AI-driven health technologies across the six Western Balkan countries (WB6), examining how large language models (LLMs) interact with existing behavioral norms and health governance gaps. Using the Health Belief Model and ethical frameworks including Principlism and responsibility ethics, the study examines how chatbots may unintentionally reinforce risky behaviors, especially among digitally active youth, by lowering perceived barriers to care while overinflating users’ confidence in selftreatment. Although governments in the region are investing in digital transformation and AI for public services, specific regulation and ethical oversight for health applications remain limited. The paper argues that unregulated AI use in healthcare risks deepening existing inequalities and public health vulnerabilities. It calls for anticipatory governance, ethical design, and targeted public education to ensure AI in health serves as a public good rather than a source of harm.

Keywords: AI chatbots; self-medication; digital health literacy; Western Balkans; health governance