Promoting Trustworthy AI in mHealth: a Gamified Approach to Value-Sensitive Design

The rise of mobile health (mHealth) apps leveraging AI and wearables to promote healthy lifestyles is accompanied by growing ethical concerns among the public, developers, and policymakers. While AI guidelines exist to mitigate concerns, translating them to practical design requirements remains challenging. This research proposes a gamified approach to help bridge the gap between theory and practice in Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) for AI applications in mHealth. This approach aims to facilitate the development of trustworthy AI by aligning design with stakeholder ethical values. Using the design science methodology, we developed a card game to improve stakeholder participation, foster an understanding of AI in mHealth, and facilitate in-depth ethical discussions. Pilot-testing with 19 peer researchers showed active engagement and motivation of players through self-discovery. The findings highlight the game’s potential to elicit ethical discussions and promote an understanding of AI’s real-world implications. Future iterations could explore digital, blended, or survey formats to enhance engagement, accessibility, and depth of insights, catering to diverse stakeholder preferences. This gamified approach to VSD holds promise as a tool for supporting the development of trustworthy AI technologies in healthcare, aligned with stakeholder values. Further validation with broader stakeholder groups and a longitudinal impact assessment are needed.