[24]  BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: THE KNOWLEDGE GAP HYPOTHESIS, AND RURAL HEALTH COMMUNICATION IN THE DAWNING OF AI: ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: Mar 2, 2026, Revised: Mar 10, 2026, Accepted: Mar 15 , 2026, CrossRef D.O.I : https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i3.2026.256-262. How To Cite: Sabyasachi Bhattacharjee (2026). Bridging the Divide: the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis, and Rural Health Communication in the Dawning of AI International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews, 5(3), 256-262.

Sabyasachi Bhattacharjee

Authors

Sabyasachi Bhattacharjee Research Scholar, Centre for Journalism & Mass Communication, Vidya Bhavana Institude, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan (An Institution of National Impartance) Bolpur, Santiniketan, District: Birbhum, West Bengal-731235, India.

Abstract

The rapid diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health communication has generated optimism about reducing long-standing disparities in access to health information, particularly in rural communities. Yet, communication theory cautions that new information technologies may differentially benefit social groups, thereby widening inequalities. Drawing on the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis, this paper examines how AI-driven health communication may both mitigate and exacerbate health knowledge disparities in rural contexts. Through a synthesis of literature in communication studies, public health, and digital health, the paper develops an abstract framework outlining the conditions under which AI functions as a gap-narrowing versus gap-widening force. The analysis highlights the roles of socio-economic status, digital literacy, infrastructural access, and cultural mediation in shaping outcomes. The paper concludes by articulating theoretical contributions to the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis in the AI era and offering implications for communication research and rural health practice.