Generative AI avatar videos for tobacco prevention on social media: a randomized controlled trial

The study examined the effectiveness of artificial intelligence avatar videos for tobacco prevention among young people on short-form video platforms. The research involved 400 randomly selected participants aged 16 years and older, divided into three groups: the first group watched an avatar video focusing on short-term smoking consequences, the second group watched a video with long-term cancer-related information, and the third group received the same information in written form. The intention to avoid smoking and secondhand smoke exposure increased in all groups, but without statistically significant differences between groups. The results suggest that AI avatar videos are a scalable and social media-compatible format for digital tobacco prevention.