ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTHCARE: EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF FUTURE PROFESSIONALS FROM A MEDICAL COLLEGE IN MAHARASHTRA

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into medical education and healthcare is reshaping traditional methods. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of 245 undergraduate health profession students from a medical college in Maharashtra through a digital survey. Findings showed moderate AI knowledge, with male students and those with prior exposure to AI demonstrating higher scores. While most students acknowledged AI's benefits, 23% expressed concerns about AI replacing human educators. Adoption of AI tools was limited due to barriers such as inadequate knowledge, restricted access, time constraints, and curricular gaps. The results emphasize the need to expand AI topics within medical curricula and address these barriers to better prepare students for leveraging AI in patient care and education.