Knowledge, awareness, and attitude regarding open AI system-based ChatGPT among students of dental colleges in India: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed greatly, with ChatGPT appearing as a robust tool that employs machine learning to produce human-like replies. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of dentistry students of Gujarat toward ChatGPT, addressing this gap. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of dentistry students in Gujarat, India, regarding ChatGPT. Data were collected using an online survey with informed consent and 15 closed-ended questions, distributed to 14 dental colleges in Gujarat. A total of 1,564 participants were included based on a prevalence rate of 80.6% from a pilot study. Descriptive and inductive statistical methods were used for the analysis of data. Results: Out of 1,570 responses, most participants were 22 years old (21.9%), with females outnumbering males by 38%. Fourth-year undergraduates made up the majority (31%), while 2 nd - and 3 rd -year postgraduates had the least responses (2%). The highest institutional participation was from the College of Dental Sciences, Amargadh (14%). All findings were significant ( p < 0.001), highlighting strong awareness and positive attitudes amongst dentistry students of Gujarat. Conclusion: It was concluded that ChatGPT, among students at dental colleges in Gujarat, showed a strong understanding of ChatGPT being an AI-based text search engine, with 86% correctly identifying its nature. Awareness of ChatGPT’s functionalities was high, particularly in creative content generation and reinforcement learning. In general, participants showed favorable views on incorporating ChatGPT into dental education, though worries regarding its effects on conventional learning approaches and rising screen time were mentioned.