Improving media adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines is crucial for preventing suicidal behaviors in the general population. However, there is currently no valid, rapid, and effective method to evaluate the adherence to these guidelines.

This comparative effectiveness study (January–August 2024) evaluated the ability of two artificial intelligence (AI) models (Claude Opus 3 and GPT-4O) to assess the adherence of media reports to WHO suicide-reporting guidelines. A total of 120 suicide-related articles (40 in English, 40 in Hebrew, and 40 in French) published within the past 5 years were sourced from prominent newspapers. Six trained human raters (two per language) independently evaluated articles based on a WHO guideline-based questionnaire addressing aspects, such as prominence, sensationalism, and prevention. The same articles were also processed using AI models. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Spearman correlations were calculated to assess agreement between human raters and AI models.

Overall adherence to WHO guidelines was ~50% across all languages. Both AI models demonstrated strong agreement with human raters, with GPT-4O showing the highest agreement (ICC = 0.793 [0.702; 0.855]). The combined evaluations of GPT-4O and Claude Opus 3 yielded the highest reliability (ICC = 0.812 [0.731; 0.869]).

AI models can replicate human judgment in evaluating media adherence to WHO guidelines. However, they have limitations and should be used alongside human oversight. These findings may suggest that AI tools have the potential to enhance and promote responsible reporting practices among journalists and, thus, may support suicide prevention efforts globally.