Use and Perceptions of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools Among First-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Health

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, especially large language models, are increasingly used in medical education.
• Understanding early medical students' perceptions of AI's educational value, reliability, and ethics is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess awareness, usage, perceived value, and ethical concerns of AI tools among first-year medical students.
• To explore students' trust in AI-generated medical information and their attitudes toward AI in education.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 102 first-year medical students (MD and GEMD programs).
• The questionnaire covered AI awareness, usage, perceived benefits/risks, trust, ethical concerns, and attitudes.
• Quantitative data were analyzed statistically; open-ended responses underwent sentiment analysis and topic modeling.

Main Results:

• Nearly all students were aware of AI tools (93-100%), with high ChatGPT usage (87-100%).
• AI was perceived as a valuable supplementary learning tool (mean Likert scores 4.07-4.22/5).
• Trust in AI-generated medical information was moderate (3.11-3.33/5), with concerns about inaccuracies; AI literacy training appeared associated with reporting differences.

Conclusions:

• Medical students widely adopt AI tools as enhancers, not replacements, for traditional study methods.
• Structured AI literacy activities may influence how students evaluate AI-generated content.
• Further research is needed to confirm the impact of AI literacy on student attitudes and practices.