MEDICAL EDUCATORS’ PERSPECTIVE REGARDING THE INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS IN UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULA AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, MAKKAH PROVINCE, SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

Abstract:
Background: The fourth industrial revolution has brought Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics  into sharp focus, particularly in healthcare. AI, defined as the capacity of digital systems to perform tasks requiring human-like intelligence, has achieved significant advancements in medical applications.

Aim: This study explores the perspectives of medical educators in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, on integrating AI and Robotics  into medical education and healthcare system.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the perspectives and attitudes of health profession educators in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, regarding the integration of AI and Robotics  into undergraduate curricula. A voluntary response, convenience-based non-probability sampling method was employed, with sample size determination using G*Power software. A total of 220 participants responded to the online questionnaire. The study utilized a validated online questionnaire, adapted with written consent from the corresponding author of a previously conducted study at Cyprus Medical School. The questionnaire items were rated by medical educators on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ibn Sina National College Research and Ethics Committee.

Results: Female respondents represented 57.27% of participants, with lecturers comprising the largest professional group (27.73%). Notable findings include significant gender-based differences in perceptions of AI’s diagnostic capabilities, with females showing greater acceptance of AI's potential. Most educators supported AI's application in Surgery, Cardiology, and Biopharmaceutical research, emphasizing supervised integration in healthcare systems. Concerns about AI's judgment compared to physicians revealed statistically significant differences (p = 0.049).
Conclusion: Educators demonstrated moderate familiarity with AI and Robotics, with strong support for its supervised adoption in medical practice. They acknowledged AI's potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy and surgical precision but expressed reservations about legal, ethical, and privacy challenges. AI is viewed as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human expertise.