Human vs Machine: The Future of Decision-making in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Area of Science:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Medical Education
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• AI technologies are revolutionizing plastic surgery, impacting planning, procedures, and recovery.
• AI offers potential for improved patient outcomes in surgical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare ChatGPT-4o and Gemini Advanced AI models.
• Evaluate AI performance on medical knowledge before and after accessing educational content.
• Assess AI efficacy against human participants.

Main Methods:

• Participants and AI models answered 22 multiple-choice questions on continuing medical education (CME) topics.
• AI models (ChatGPT-4o, Gemini Advanced) and human residents were tested pre- and post-article access.
• AI models utilized incognito mode for 6 days of testing.

Main Results:

• Human residents showed significant score improvement after reading articles.
• Gemini Advanced demonstrated a significant score increase post-article, while ChatGPT-4o did not.
• Both AI models exhibited higher accuracy than human residents in both pre- and post-article assessments.

Conclusions:

• AI models show promise for integration into medical education.
• Sophisticated AI can serve as supplementary tools in learning environments.
• AI may help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.