Challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning in an era of generative artificial intelligence: Students’ perspective

Objectives: The widespread dispersal of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has revolutionised communication. It has also affected the teaching-learning process as the vast syllabus in medical studies makes it a magic wand for students. Although it is perceived as a threat to replace humans in medical diagnostics and prescription writing, as it can generate sentences and provide answers, it appears to be unable to improve the comprehension and emotional skills required for the medical profession. Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted to assess undergraduate medical students’ perceptions of the challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning in the era of GenAI and their readiness to adapt. A questionnaire with 15 closed-ended and two open-ended items was used. Results: We received 181 responses, out of which 173 responses were analysed. The Chi-square value (141.56) of the items shows statistical significance ( P = 0.001) as per the Friedmann mean rank test, with the highest rank for item P -3 ‘The use of GenAI in medical education can help simulate complex medical scenarios effectively’ (9.56) and lowest rank for item P-8 ‘I feel confident in navigating the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in healthcare as a medical student’ (6.41). The open-ended questions for the role of GenAI in the teaching-learning process identified five themes: Enhancing teaching and learning, clinical applications and skill development, efficiency and productivity, innovation in medical education and ethical and human-centric considerations. Six themes were identified for their challenges: Technological challenges, educational impacts, human-centric challenges, social and cultural barriers, practical and clinical limitations and psychological and perceptual concerns. Conclusion: The medical undergraduate students strongly perceive that GenAI has the potential to improve the landscape of medical education. Although they were apprehensive about patient privacy and data security, they are ready to embrace GenAI in medical education and training.