Community Acceptance of Ai- Based Health Tools in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, With Policy Implications

Abstract

This study examined the utilization and community acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based health tools in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria, with emphasis on identifying policy implications for effective integration. The study is anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data were gathered from a purposively selected sample of 201 respondents including household heads, local leaders, and health workers across a few Ankpa localities using a survey study approach. Results showed low community trust with Mean = 2.05, poor understanding of AI functions with Mean score of 1.99, and resistance among the elderly with Mean = 2.03. Also, there was optimism that sensitization could increase acceptance (= 2.94). Regarding adoption factors, lack of infrastructure (= 2.18), fear of job loss (= 2.20), and insufficient government support ( = 1.98) were not seen as dominant barriers. Similarly, respondents agreed that training healthcare workers (= 3.03) and addressing ethical concerns such as data privacy ( = 2.89) are critical to successful adoption. These results imply that integrating AI health technologies in rural communities requires inclusive policy frameworks that prioritize community engagement, ethical protections, and human capacity-building in addition to technology deployment. The study comes to the conclusion that if sociocultural realities and infrastructure needs are addressed through focused policy action, AI-based health interventions can greatly assist healthcare delivery in Ankpa LGA.