Scott Fields Lecture: Shaping the Future of AI: The Critical Role of Medical Educators
By Winston Liaw, MD, MPH; University of Houston
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing health care delivery and redefining medical education through innovations like ChatGPT. This transformative tool is reshaping how primary care knowledge is imparted and absorbed. Much like the seismic shifts brought about by the advent of radio, television, and the internet, AI's disruptive influence challenges the traditional paradigms of teaching, curriculum, and learning. Through the lens of learning theory, we will explore how AI can enhance medical education. For example, AI offers a dynamic platform for students to generate differential diagnoses, tailor instructional content, and assess learning. This interactive approach bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and pragmatic application. The power lies in refining clinical skills through the personalized, hands-on experiences that are needed to shape effective, adaptable family physicians.
This integration comes with myriad dangers. AI can cause undue dependency, generate inaccurate outputs, and amplify biases. Recognizing these drawbacks, a comprehensive evaluation framework must accompany AI’s implementation. During this talk, we will discuss AI competencies, which will encourage educators and learners to explain fundamental concepts underlying an AI tool, appraise the evidence behind it, identify appropriate indications for its use, operate the tool effectively, communicate its output, and recognize adverse effects. This process not only addresses knowledge gaps but also fosters an examination into AI's boundaries and capabilities.
The role of medical educators in charting AI’s path is pivotal. Failure to actively engage in AI's development risks graduating students unprepared to take on real-world challenges, teaching the wrong lessons, and compromising patient well-being. Thus, the responsibility of ethical and proficient AI integration falls to medical educators. By becoming active stakeholders in AI development and evaluation, educators can fulfill their duty to ensure the appropriate balance between technological progress and the needs of primary care.