CRITICAL thinking and peer interaction are being impacted by increased use and reliance on generative AI (GenAI), according to a review of health-related studies conducted by Monash University.

The study focused on the application of GenAI technologies within formal health professions education training programs, including pharmacy.

It found GenAI was highly active and prevalent across six learning types in health studies and was being used most as learning support in practice (73%), inquiry (70%), production (67%) and acquisition (55%).

Conversely, the terms ‘discussion’ and ‘collaboration’ only appeared in 12% of learning fields, indicating students were pivoting towards using GenAI for more individualised learning and sacrificing human interaction and collaboration.

The paper’s first author, Thai Duong Pham, said the review explored how GenAI is encouraging new forms of learning and reducing teacher reliance but is also reshaping classroom dynamics and learning structures.

“Recent advancements in AI offer enhanced tools for educational applications, particularly in content generation and multi-model learning,” Pham said.

“However, there remains a significant gap in understanding how to productively and responsibly incorporate GenAI into health professions education practices.”

Pham said he hopes the study offers a better understanding into how healthcare students are engaging with GenAI and can help teachers harness the technology to guide students and ensure “soft skills” around human interaction are not lost entirely. ML

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