Medical Students’ Attitude towards Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: A National Multicenter Survey

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> 1.1 Objectives The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading to its integration into various fields, including medicine, which is at the forefront of this development. There are numerous perspectives on the future role of AI in medicine, with varying levels of positivity or negativity. In this study, we aimed to assess undergraduate medical students' attitudes towards integrating AI in medicine, to evaluate their need for AI training, identify misconceptions about AI, and explore its impact on their choice of specialization 1.2 Methods To assess the attitudes of medical students towards the integration of AI in medicine, a web-based multicenter survey was conducted across both public and private medical institutes in Ethiopia over a three-month period from June to August 2022. The survey questionnaire included questions on the students’ familiarity with AI, perceptions of AI in medicine, and the need for AI training among medical students. Group comparison was tested by chi-square test for categorical responses and Mann-Whitney test for ordinal rating scale responses. 1.3 Results Of the 1002 respondents, 68.3% were unaware of AI's role in medicine despite over two-thirds (69%) considering themselves tech-savvy; however, a significant majority recognized AI's applications in daily life, particularly through social media (77.6%) and mainstream media (44.9%). Most students (86.9%) believed AI would improve medicine, and notably, 84.9% advocated for its inclusion in medical training, reflecting a strong sentiment that AI education should be a part of the medical curriculum. Over half of the participants (56.8%) felt that AI would positively impact their choice of medical specialty, yet there was a split opinion about the emphasis on AI in developing countries like Ethiopia, with 41.7% preferring not to prioritize it. Students interested in specialties influenced by AI were more inclined to perceive AI as beneficial to medicine, suggesting a correlation between their specialty interests and their views on AI's role in healthcare. 1.4 Conclusions The research findings indicate that while many students surveyed had limited awareness and basic understanding of medical AI, the majority recognized its significant potential in medicine. Most were not concerned about AI replacing them in the future and agreed that AI will enhance medicine and should be integrated into the medical curriculum.