Artificial intelligence (A.I.) in dental curricula: Ethics and responsible integration

Abstract

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is deeply embedded in all aspects of our daily lives, promoting efficiency and safety in routine tasks at home and work. Likewise, dentistry is rapidly exploring new uses of AI for image analysis, electronic health records, and clinical decision‐making. The accelerating advancement of AI and its application in dentistry demands dental education conscientiously integrate AI into curricula and equip graduates to use it ethically and responsibly in practice. The approach must be threefold: instill knowledge of the basic algorithms and appropriate application of AI, discuss its limitations/biases, and examine current and potential ethical challenges in practice. Furthermore, dental education must protect the public from intentional and unintentional harm introduced by AI. Therefore, the purpose of this perspective paper is to discuss various considerations for integrating AI into the dental curriculum, prioritizing patient safety by ensuring knowledgeable, safe, and ethical application by future providers.

A Comparative Analysis of Conventional and Chat-Generative Pre-trained Transformer-Assisted Teaching Methods in Undergraduate Dental Education

“…Ethical concerns and ongoing improvement methods must be included in the algorithms and review procedures as well. Students should be exposed to the use of these tools so that they may include them in their future activities [ 11 ].…”

Decoding AI Curricular Integration: Navigating Course Quality in Brazilian Dental Master's Programs

“…The presence of AI-related content might be strongly influenced by the leadership and vision of individual dental schools and faculties, especially when it comes to curriculum (Islam et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2023;Schwendicke et al, 2023). Institutions that recognize the transformative potential of AI in dentistry and prioritize innovative curriculum development may be more likely to incorporate AI concepts (Islam em al., 2022).…”

“…The availability of resources, both financial and intellectual, could play a crucial role (Pedró et al, 2019;Islam et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2023;Rodway & Schepman, 2023). Institutions with ample resources may find it easier to invest in AI education, develop specialized courses, and hire faculty with AI expertise.…”

“…One of the main challenges of integrating AI into dental education is ensuring that students are taught to use it ethically and responsibly. This means understanding the limits of AI and being aware of the potential biases and disparities that can be introduced by poorly designed algorithms (Kim et al, 2023).…”

“…The integration of AI concepts into dental education may not be solely influenced by traditional factors like course type or university category. Instead, it may depend on the willingness of institutions to bridge disciplinary gaps and collaborate across departments (Islam et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2023).…”