Artificial Intelligence is like…: Nursing Students' Perceptions Through Textual and Visual Metaphors

The rapid advancement of technology has positioned artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative force in nursing education and clinical practice. Nursing students' perceptions of AI are critical to its meaningful integration into their learning experiences and future professional roles. This study explored these perceptions through textual and visual metaphors. Conducted in 2023 with 270 nursing students, the study involved collecting AI-related metaphors and corresponding illustrations. Using metaphor analysis, the data were categorized into three overarching themes: positive, negative, and dual-impact metaphors. Positive metaphors reflected AI’s human-like abilities, controllability, technological advancement, accessibility to information, facilitation of learning, and undiscovered potential. Negative metaphors emphasized concerns such as loss of control, lack of emotion, dependency, and diminished human effort. Dual-impact metaphors captured both the advantages and potential risks of AI. The metaphor “robot” emerged as the most frequently used, emphasizing students’ perception of AI as a functional and efficient assistant. The findings revealed a clear progression in perceptions across grade levels. First-year students tended to express simpler and more concrete views, while senior students demonstrated more critical, multidimensional, and abstract perspectives. Such a developmental trajectory suggests that academic progression fosters deeper reflection and critical awareness regarding AI. Higher-grade students were more likely to highlight ethical, emotional, and professional implications of AI use in nursing. This study highlights that nursing students develop a balanced awareness of AI, acknowledging both its benefits and challenges. These insights underline the importance of tailoring AI-related content in nursing education to different academic levels. Understanding these perceptions can guide the integration of AI into nursing education, ensuring that students are prepared to engage with AI in a thoughtful and informed manner.