Will artificial intelligence change medical life? Bridging the gap between innovation and medical student adoption: a cross-sectional study among university medical students

Abstract

Background: Artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming healthcare by improving diagnosis, treatment, and personalized medicine. Understanding medical students' and faculty perceptions is essential for effective integration into medical education. This study examines the benefits, limitations, and impact of AI on clinical practice, education, and healthcare delivery. This research investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, highlighting its advantages and limitations, with emphasis on its applications in various clinical fields and its influence on medical education and healthcare delivery. Methods: Across-sectional study was conducted involving 441 medical students at Tanta University. Data was gathered by using a structured pretested self-administered questionnaire, developed from the literature, and validated by experts. It covered sociodemographic characteristics, perceptions toward AI in medical education, and knowledge and attitudes regarding AI use in healthcare. Results: The survey revealed that 95.9% of participants have heard about AI, primarily through media (77.8%). with 76.0% showing a favorable attitude. Most students (58.3%) reported learning about AI through online communities and forums. However, only 37.9% learned AI techniques through courses or training. Less than one quarter (23.8%) consider Chatbot for student support the most useful. The most frequently reported benefit was its ability to speed up the management process (46.3%), followed by its capacity to capture and analyze more information than humans (42.9%) and its potential to reduce medical errors (42.9%). Students raised concerns about reduced independent thinking (52.6%) and limited interpersonal skills (47.4%). The main barriers identified were lack of proper training (51.9%), limited financial resources (49%), and lack of awareness (47.6%). Conclusion: Medical students showed high awareness and positive attitudes toward AI but had limited formal training. They recognized its benefits in learning and clinical practice while expressing ethical concerns regarding ethics, reduced human interaction, and accountability. These findings highlight the need to incorporate structured AI education into medical curricula, emphasizing both technical competencies and ethical frameworks, to prepare future physicians for safe and effective AI adoption in healthcare.