Medical undergraduate students' awareness and perspectives on artificial intelligence: A developing nation's context

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping healthcare, yet its integration into medical education remains limited. This study assesses undergraduate healthcare students' knowledge and perceptions of AI, its applications, challenges, and the need for AI education in healthcare curricula.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Riphah International University from August to October 2023, involving 939 undergraduate students from medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, and physical therapy disciplines. Data was collected using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 26. Inferential statistical test such as The Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests were applied to compare AI knowledge and perceptions across disciplines and genders.

Results demonstrated moderate AI knowledge, with significant differences across disciplines (p = 0.039). BDS students had the highest AI knowledge, while nursing students scored the lowest. Most students (77%) attended AI-related talks, but only 11.8% had formal AI training. Perceptions toward AI's role in patient care were generally positive, with 73.6% believing AI could aid in patient documentation and 68.7% supporting its role in selecting health interventions. Concerns were raised about AI's impact on job displacement, ethical challenges, and feasibility in developing countries. Despite this, 78.8% supported AI integration into medical curricula, and 82.2% endorsed AI training as part of medical education.

Undergraduate healthcare students recognize AI's potential in medicine but express concerns about ethical implications and job displacement. The findings highlight the need for structured AI education in medical curricula to bridge knowledge gaps and prepare future healthcare professionals for AI-driven practice.