Awareness and Detection of Artificial Intelligence-generated Misinformation in Medical Contexts among Health Professions Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in health care and medical education; however, concerns persist regarding health professions students’ ability to evaluate the accuracy of AI-generated medical content, particularly when such content contains misinformation. Objectives: This study assessed the awareness, attitudes, and ability of health professions students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to detect AI-generated misinformation in medical contexts. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 354 health professions students using a structured online questionnaire. The survey captured demographics, AI usage patterns, awareness of AI concepts, verification behaviors, and the ability to identify inaccurate AI-generated statements. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. Results: Most students reported prior use of AI tools (86.7%), yet only half (50.0%) were aware of the term AI hallucination. A large proportion (77.7%) had previously encountered wrong or confusing AI-generated information. Despite this, only 37.9% consistently verified AI outputs using other sources. Performance on the hallucination-detection items revealed substantial gaps: only 25.1% correctly identified the false statement that magnetic resonance imaging uses ionizing radiation, 40.1% correctly recognized that vitamin C does not prevent the common cold, and 54.1% correctly affirmed the aspirin–Reye’s syndrome association. While attitudes toward AI were generally positive – with 89.3% agreeing it is a useful educational tool – significant limitations in critical appraisal skills were evident. Conclusion: Health professions students in Riyadh are active users of AI technologies but demonstrate limited ability to detect AI-generated medical misinformation. Given the high reliance on AI for academic and clinical learning, these findings highlight an urgent need to integrate structured AI literacy, critical appraisal training, and misinformation-detection exercises into health professions curricula to promote safe and responsible use of AI in healthcare.