Are Psychiatry Faculty Prepared to Guide AI Use? A National Survey

To assess psychiatry faculty knowledge, use, and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in undergraduate medical education (UME) and graduate medical education (GME), and examine awareness of institutional AI policies.

A national survey was distributed to psychiatry clerkship directors and residency program directors at 105 allopathic and osteopathic medical schools and 219 psychiatry residency programs across the USA from November 2024 to February 2025. The survey assessed AI use patterns, attitudes, perceptions, and awareness of institutional policies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test for group comparisons.

Responses were obtained from 31 UME faculty (29.5% response rate) and 46 GME faculty (21% response rate). All UME faculty and 74% of GME faculty believed students use AI. However, 36% of UME and 57% of GME faculty were unaware of institutional student AI policies. Knowledge of faculty AI policies was even more limited (38.7% UME, 63% GME uncertain). Only 35.5% of UME and 27.9% of GME faculty reported current AI use, primarily for research support, literature review, and content development. Overall, 50% of UME and 54.1% of GME respondents perceived AI in medical education as beneficial.

Despite widespread belief that students use AI, psychiatry faculty demonstrate limited awareness of institutional policies and minimal integration of AI literacy in curricula. These findings highlight the urgent need for faculty development programs, clear institutional policies, and structured AI curricula to bridge the gap between rapid AI adoption by learners and educational infrastructure.