Application of AI-Generated Content in Medical Education: Systematic Review of the Impact on Critical Thinking Abilities of Medical Students
Abstract
Background: With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) is increasingly widely applied in the field of medical education. Large language models, such as ChatGPT, are a prominent type of AIGC technology. Critical thinking is a core ability in medical education, but the impact of AIGC technology on the critical thinking ability of medical students remains unclear. Medical students are at a crucial stage in cultivating critical thinking, and the intervention of AIGC technology may have a profound impact on this process.
Objective: This study aims to systematically review the impact of AIGC technology on the complex mechanisms affecting medical students' critical thinking abilities and build a corresponding strategic framework. The findings are intended to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for applying AIGC in medical education.
Methods: This study followed 2020 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, with the retrieval scope limited to English studies published between November 2022 and June 2025. Through the PubMed database, combined with the search methods of subject terms and free words, relevant studies involving the impact of AIGC on the critical thinking of medical students were screened for using keywords such as "AIGC," "medical students," and "critical thinking." Two independent reviewers screened and evaluated the literature, and…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Knowledge Management Perspective of Generative Artificial Intelligence
- Navigating Generative Artificial Intelligence Promises and Perils for Knowledge and Creative Work
- Characterizing the evolving research on enterprise content management
- Large language models and multimodal foundation models for precision oncology
- From Generative AI to Extended Reality: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Challenges, Opportunities, and Future of Educational Computing
- Generative Artificial Intelligence: A New Engine for Advancing Environmental Science and Engineering
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.