Perspectives of faculty members on the use of artificial intelligence chatbots in medical education and research: a qualitative study

Authors
R. Abjar
Z. Nouri Khaneghah
L. Sadati
S.M. Hosseini
Gh. Ramezani
Abstract
Aims: The effective adoption of artificial intelligence in medical academia critically depends on faculty perspectives as the primary stakeholders. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of elucidating the Perspectives of faculty members regarding the use of artificial intelligence Chatbots in the medical education and research.

Methods: The present study is a qualitative research using a content analysis approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eighteen faculty members. Sampling continued purposively and via snowball sampling until data saturation was reached. The interviews were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method by Graneheim and Lundman. The rigor of the findings was ensured using Lincoln and Guba's criteria.

Result: The findings were organized into three main categories: [1] "Practical Application Domains of AI Tools," which included the sub-categories of content creation and instructional design, academic research support and production, and therapeutic application; [2] "Identified Benefits and Challenges for AI Tools," comprising the sub-categories of ethical and security concerns, educational and pedagogical concerns for student learning, technical and infrastructural limitations, and perceived advantages and opportunities; and [3] "Prerequisites and Enablers for Effective AI Tools Use," covering the sub-categories of competency development and foundational attitudes and systemic support.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that faculty members widely utilize chatbots for content creation, article writing, and disease diagnosis and that they can help accelerate educational and research processes. However, challenges such as filtering and data validity exist and should be addressed. The effective utilization of these technologies requires appropriate training.

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Health Education and Health Promotion
Volume 1, Issue 0
Winter 2022