The Impact of AI on Critical Thinking among Medical Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being utilized in medical education, as learning tools and decision-making tools in the clinic. However, we are not yet certain of its impact on the critical thinking ability of medical students. Although AI has benefits such as improved diagnosis and quicker decision-making, its use is feared to decrease students' ability to problem-solve independently.

Objective: The study investigates the impact of AI on the critical thinking skills of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan medical students.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 376 MBBS and BDS medical students of various study years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with due consideration of how AI is applied, what the students' perception is about its impact on critical thinking, and how it is applied in practical usage. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 26.

Results:The results indicated that 33% of the students use AI tools occasionally, 27.1% use them not very often, and 26.9% use them frequently. The most widely used AI tools were diagnostic software (46.5%) and educational chatbots (29.4%). Despite the perception that AI-powered learning benefited them in decision-making and problem-solving, 37.3% were concerned that overusing AI would reduce the capacity to think autonomously. Nevertheless, 71% had a very positive or quite positive perception of AI use in medical education. 

Conclusion: AI may be employed to promote critical thinking in medical students if utilized appropriately. Its integration into education should be closely managed to prevent dependency and to ensure that it augments, rather than replaces, traditional approaches to problem-solving. There is much research that needs to be done to verify long-term effects and optimal practices in the integration of AI into medical education.