Perspectives of nuclear medicine professionals on artificial intelligence and educational implications

We aimed to evaluate nuclear medicine professionals’ attitudes and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in their field and medicine in general. We conducted a survey via the Tencent Questionnaire platform among nuclear medicine professionals at Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University. The survey addressed aspects such as their understanding of AI applications in nuclear medicine and their perspectives on AI in this field and medicine in general. A total of 261 individuals, including 120 females and 141 males, responded to the questionnaire. Approximately 55.2% reported being acquainted with AI in nuclear medicine, whereas 32.2% indicated they did not have a basic understanding of the technologies used in these topics. The majority (96.2%) believed that AI could assist in identifying pathologies in nuclear medicine imaging, although 23.4% felt that it could not provide a definitive diagnosis. Most respondents agreed that AI would both revolutionize (66.7%) and enhance (94.2%) nuclear medicine. Furthermore, the majority (82.3%) disagreed with the notion that AI would replace human nuclear medicine physicians, while 92.3% supported the integration of AI into medical training. In subgroup analyses, male and tech-savvy respondents were more confident in the benefits of AI in nuclear medicine and less concerned about its potential negative impacts. Our regional study demonstrates a high level of acceptance of AI in nuclear medicine, with AI primarily regarded as a tool to enhance diagnostics and support clinical decision-making rather than to replace physicians. The findings underscore the importance of broader research as well as continuous education and ethical deliberations regarding the integration of AI into medical practice.