Knowledge and attitudes of Egyptian medical students towards artificial intelligence application in medical practice: a multicenter cross‑sectional study

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly impacted various fields, including medicine. As AI integration in medicine expands, medical students and professionals need to develop a comprehensive understanding of its applications. This study aimed to explore the self-reported knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate Egyptian medical students regarding artificial intelligence application in medical practice. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2025 among undergraduate medical students from seven Egyptian medical schools. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected via a validated structured web-based questionnaire distributed through social media to assess students’ demographics, knowledge, and attitudes toward AI applications in medical practice. This study included 1438 medical students with a mean age of 20.3 years ± 1.9 years. Overall, 55.3% demonstrated good knowledge and 66.8% showed a positive attitude toward AI applications in medical practice. Good knowledge was significantly higher among students in higher academic years (3rd year AOR = 1.88, P = 0.006; 4th year AOR = 2.02, P = 0.007; 5th year AOR = 1.86, P = 0.034) and among those reporting peers and mentors (AOR = 1.35, P = 0.017), scientific papers and books (AOR = 1.71, P < 0.001), training courses (AOR = 1.43, P = 0.004), and mass media (AOR = 1.32, P = 0.036) as their main sources of AI information. A positive attitude toward AI was significantly more common among male students (AOR = 1.50, P = 0.001), 4th-year students (AOR = 1.97, P = 0.014), and those willing to enroll in an AI course (AOR = 1.30, P = 0.039). YouTube was perceived as the most valuable social media source for AI-related information (90.4%), followed by Telegram (86.6%) and WhatsApp (65.2%). Although the Egyptian medical students who participated in this study demonstrated generally positive attitudes toward AI and a willingness to learn, they may be navigating this transition with limited institutional guidance. These findings suggest that medical schools should consider integrating AI-related technical literacy and ethical reasoning into the core curriculum.