Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education and Practice among Undergraduate Medical Students at a Public Medical School in Sarawak, Malaysia

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising medical education and practice, making it essential to understand medical students’ attitudes toward AI for curriculum development. However, the attitudes of medical students in Sarawak, Malaysia, toward AI remain underexplored. Aim/Purpose/Objective: This study aimed to assess the attitudes of undergraduate medical students at a public medical school in Sarawak, Malaysia, toward AI in medical education and practice. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2023 to August 2024, involving 185 undergraduate medical students from year one to year five at a public medical school in Sarawak, Malaysia. A convenience sampling method was employed. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire adapted from a previous United Kingdom study assessing medical students’ attitudes toward AI in education and practice. Participants rated their agreement on a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Most students reported positive attitudes toward AI, with 73% (combining 31.4% strongly agree and 41.6% agree) supporting the statement that “All medical students should receive teaching in AI”. Additionally, 78.3% (combining 29.7% strongly agree and 48.6% agree) supported the statement that “Participating in AI education will be beneficial to my academic journey”. Furthermore, 74.6% (combining 28.1% strongly agree and 46.5% agree) supported the statement that “I am open to exploring more career options with AI advancement”. Lastly, 64.8% (combining 27.0% strongly agree and 37.8% agree) supported the statement that “AI will play an important role in healthcare”. Conclusion: The majority of the medical students in this study showed positive attitudes toward AI, supporting its inclusion in the curriculum and its future role in healthcare. These findings provide a strong foundation for integrating AI into medical education and practice. Keywords: Artificial intelligence; attitudes; medicine; medical students; medical education