Exploring medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness among Korean medical students: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming healthcare systems and clinical practice, increasing the need to prepare future physicians to work effectively with AI technologies in clinical contexts. Despite growing interest in integrating AI into medical education, empirical evidence regarding medical students' readiness to use AI remains limited. This study aimed to assess medical AI readiness among Korean medical students and explore factors associated with their readiness. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students enrolled in a six-year medical program at a university in Korea. A total of 204 students participated in the study. Medical AI readiness was measured using the Medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness Scale for Medical Students (MAIRS-MS), which assesses four domains: cognition, ability, vision, and ethics. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and Pearson's correlation analyses were performed using SPSS version 27. RESULTS: The overall mean score of medical AI readiness was 4.19 on a 7-point Likert scale, indicating a moderate level of medical AI readiness. Among the subscales, ethics showed the highest mean score (4.69), followed by vision (4.44), ability (4.18), and cognition (3.92). The frequency of AI use was significantly associated with medical AI readiness, whereas the daily duration of AI use was not. No significant gender differences were observed. When students were divided into the low (pre-medical years 1-2) and high (medical years 1-4) groups, the high group showed significantly higher scores only in the ability subscale. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that medical students are not yet sufficiently prepared to utilize AI technologies in clinical practice, particularly in terms of knowledge and practical competencies related to AI. These results highlight the need for structured and longitudinal AI education in medical curricula to better prepare future physicians for AI-integrated healthcare environments.