BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) education into medical curricula is emphasized by the World Medical Association as AI becomes more prevalent in healthcare, including applications such as image analysis and robotic surgery. This study aimed to assess the awareness, perceptions, and opinions of undergraduate medical students regarding AI and its application in healthcare at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in March 2025 at Umm Al-Qura University with 170 undergraduate medical students. A stratified random selection method was used to ensure that each year group was represented correctly. Based on earlier studies, a verified, self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect the data. The tool examined demographic information, knowledge, use, attitudes, and impressions of AI. SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM Corp., Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) was used to do statistical tests such as chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

Of the 170 students, 70.0% were female and 91.8% were Saudi nationals. A large majority were aware of AI (95.9%) and ChatGPT (97.1%; OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, USA), with 94.1% having used ChatGPT. Most students (61.2%) viewed AI as a supportive tool for healthcare professionals rather than a replacement. Positive perceptions of AI were associated with higher levels of study (p = 0.006) and AI awareness (p = 0.008), but not with gender, age, or nationality. While many students recognized AI's benefits in diagnosis and decision-making, concerns were expressed regarding dehumanization, job displacement, and ethical risks such as privacy and misinformation. Notably, 55.3% of students reported no formal education on AI, underscoring the need for structured curricular integration.

CONCLUSIONS

The study found that Saudi medicine students believed AI was generally beneficial, but they were also cautious. To prepare students for future clinical settings that AI will enhance, it is imperative that formal AI training be included in undergraduate medical education.