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JMIR Med Educ
JMIR Med Educ
JME
mededu
20
JMIR Medical Education
2369-3762
JMIR Medical Education

10.2196/57696
57696
Letter to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
e-Learning and Medical Education
New Methods and Approaches in Medical Education
Students' Corner
Training Tools for Medical Students
Artificial Intelligence
Chatbots and Conversational Agents
Generative Language Models Including ChatGPT
e-Learning and Medical Education
Artificial Intelligence
Students' Corner
Training Tools for Medical Students
New Methods and Approaches in Medical Education
Chatbots and Conversational Agents
Generative Language Models Including ChatGPT
A Student’s Viewpoint on ChatGPT Use and Automation Bias in Medical Education
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6762-1448
Dsouza Jeanne Maria 1jeannemariadsouza@gmail.com

1 Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India
Leung Tiffany
Jeanne MariaDsouza, Kasturba Medical College, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, 576104, India, 91 9868505047; jeannemariadsouza@gmail.com
None declared.

2024
15 4 2024
10 5769624 2 2024
03 3 2024
28 3 2024
Copyright © Jeanne Maria Dsouza. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (https://mededu.jmir.org)
2024
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Medical Education, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://mededu.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

Keywords

AI
artificial intelligence
ChatGPT
medical education
Corresponding author for proofs402603
Planned CE AssigneeJanel Pangilinan
LanguageNon-ESL
CE Triage CompleteYes
Assigned PEMonisha
pap2024-04-15 06:13:22
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pmcThe editorial ChatGPT in Medical Education: A Precursor for Automation Bias? by Nguyen [1] is very timely, appropriate, and informative. Being a medical student myself, I find that it gives a balanced view on the use of ChatGPT, which is sweeping across the globe at a spectacular pace. One of the hallmarks of this tool is that it is almost universally accessible, even in parts of the world where there may be limited access to quality medical education. As authors have rightly pointed out, ChatGPT is useful for summarizing information, generating practice questions, and giving instantaneous feedback [2-4], and it could serve as an effective personalized tutor. It provides high-quality scientific text gleaned from a quick and comprehensive review of the literature and presents text in an efficient, readable, and versatile style [1]. It is no wonder that it is gaining immense popularity among students, including medical students, who are “burdened with the impossible task of balancing the need to continuously learn and retain competencies and the need to provide compassionate patient care,” as aptly underscored in the editorial [1].

The downside of this powerful tool has also been well portrayed. There is a very real risk of automation bias, especially among medical students in the younger generation, who are digitally savvy but often lack experience and confidence in their clinical skills. The blind dependence on ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools could corrode their thinking and decision-making skills and lead to erroneous medical outcomes. The clinical setting is undoubtedly the best classroom for students to develop the skills for understanding and accommodating the needs, expectations, and values of patients and their caregivers in the real-world scenario, as well as cultivate leadership qualities and work in a team. It is vital for us students to retain our originality, identity, and critical analytical skills to avoid falling into the trap of AI solutionism.

The need for AI education at this crucial juncture has been well brought out. At present, only a minority of students have received AI education [5]. Incorporating it into the medical curriculum is a challenging, multidisciplinary endeavor. Knowing how and when to use this powerful tool in a responsible manner, without clouding clinical judgment and in keeping with the tenets of medical ethics, is paramount. I agree with Nguyen’s [1] view that ChatGPT should be used as a supplementary tool rather than as the default resource for medical education. There is a need to exercise vigilance in the utilization of this tool right from the formative years of medical professionals.

AI is here to stay, and ChatGPT will undoubtedly have an all-pervading influence on medical education and the practice of medicine itself. Therefore, its optimal utilization is the need of the hour. Imparting AI education would help unleash the power of ChatGPT, but appropriate pre-emptive measures to keep its disruptive potential in check are needed to pave the way for an AI-savvy generation of medical professionals with sound clinical judgment and skills.

Abbreviations

AI artificial intelligence

Editorial Notice: The corresponding author of “ChatGPT in Medical Education: A Precursor for Automation Bias?” declined to respond to this letter.
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References

1. Nguyen T ChatGPT in medical education: a precursor for automation bias? JMIR Med Educ 01 17 2024 10 e50174 doi 10.2196/50174 Medline 38231545
2. Eysenbach G The role of ChatGPT, generative language models, and artificial intelligence in medical education: a conversation with ChatGPT and a call for papers JMIR Med Educ Mar 6 2023 9 e46885 doi 10.2196/46885 Medline 36863937
3. Feng S Shen Y ChatGPT and the future of medical education Acad Med Aug 1 2023 98 8 867 868 doi 10.1097/ACM.0000000000005242 Medline 37162219
4. Hattie J Timperley H The power of feedback Rev Educ Res Mar 2007 77 1 81 112 doi 10.3102/003465430298487
5. Civaner MM Uncu Y Bulut F Chalil EG Tatli A Artificial intelligence in medical education: a cross-sectional needs assessment BMC Med Educ Nov 9 2022 22 1 772 doi 10.1186/s12909-022-03852-3 Medline 36352431
