The Hidden Preceptor: How AI Is Already Teaching Our Learners

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used increasingly by medical learners for studying and clinical decision-making, the educational impact of AI remains an opportunity for further discussion. This commentary introduces the concept of AI as a “hidden preceptor” that influences medical learners’ approach to clinical reasoning, uncertainty, and professional identity. It draws on the concepts of hidden curriculum and clinical reasoning theory. The commentary argues that typically, AI demonstrates characteristics of speed, certainty, and pattern recognition, which can be counterproductive to the educationally desired outcomes of deliberate thinking, mechanical understanding, and reflective practice. Strategies are proposed to assist educators in making AI’s pedagogy an explicit part of the educational process, and to enable learners to effectively engage with AI to promote, rather than hinder, their clinical growth and development.