1st Workshop on Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models for Society: Harnessing Language Technologies for Social Good

Presentation Time: 08:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Abstract Keywords: Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Models (LLMs)
Primary Track: Applications
Programmatic Theme: Public Health Informatics

Natural language processing (NLP), particularly powered by the recent emergence of large language models (LLMs), is increasingly leading to transformational progress in healthcare, biomedical research, and social sciences. NLP applications have expanded beyond traditional clinical text analysis, becoming a powerful tool for tackling broader societal challenges. This workshop, NLP and LLMs for Society, aims to bring together informatics experts from academia and industry to discuss the current state of NLP research, open challenges, and potential future applications for the betterment of society. Talks are grouped into three broad themes: (i) NLP/LLMs for public health and safety, (ii) AI/NLP for improving patient care and outcomes, and (iii) NLP/LLMs for wellbeing and underserved populations. The workshop will comprise seven lightning talks followed by a moderated panel discussion, with the target audience being interdisciplinary researchers from medicine, public health, computer science, social sciences, nursing, biomedical informatics, and related fields. The workshop will facilitate knowledge-sharing and discussion among researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, creating a forum to exchange ideas, practical approaches, and lessons learned. From the technical perspective, the talks and discussions will highlight strategies for effective application of NLP on texts from diverse sources, such as electronic health records, scientific literature, and social media, and challenges associated with big and small data, low-resource settings and languages, and fairness and ethical considerations. Each lightning talk will be allocated 15 minutes, plus two minutes for questions, and the panel discussion will be allocated 45 minutes during which interdisciplinary stakeholders in attendance can share their own perspectives and ask targeted questions. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities in this space, leaving them with actionable insights to apply NLP for broader social impact.

Speakers:
Abeed Sarker, PhD
Emory University School of Medicine

Selen Bozkurt Watson, PhD, MS
Emory University

Azra Ismail, PhD
Emory University

Xiaoyan Wang, PhD in Biomedical Informatics
IMO Health

Rui Zhang, PhD, FAMIA, FACMI
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Hua Xu, Ph.D
Yale University

Authors:
Abeed Sarker, PhD - Emory University School of Medicine; Selen Bozkurt Watson, PhD, MS - Emory University; Azra Ismail, PhD - Emory University; Xiaoyan Wang, PhD in Biomedical Informatics - IMO Health; Rui Zhang, PhD, FAMIA, FACMI - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez, PhD - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Hua Xu, Ph.D - Yale University; Gari Clifford, DPhil - Emory University;

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