Knowledge and attitudes of pharmacy students towards artificial intelligence and the ChatGPT

Background: This study examined pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes to artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT. Methods: A survey was conducted with 258 fourth-year pharmacy students at Kitasato University, Japan, assessing their AI knowledge, ChatGPT impressions, and literacy regarding its appropriate use. Data were analysed descriptively, and participants were divided into two groups based on ChatGPT awareness for further analysis. Results: A total of 113 students (43.7%) participated, with 19.5% having prior ChatGPT experience, 4.4% were unaware, and 42.5% could describe it. General AI terms like "machine learning" were more familiar (83.2%) than specific ones like "natural language processing" (2.6%). Positive impressions of ChatGPT included 65.5% finding it efficient and 50.4% mentioning enhanced comprehension. However, only 3.5% correctly identified all inappropriate purposes, and 24.8% selected all precautions for its use. The 48 participants (42.5%) who described ChatGPT and had higher AI knowledge showed more correct answers than the other group (65 participants, 57.5%). Conclusion: Students with AI knowledge and the ability to describe ChatGPT demonstrated a better understanding of its appropriate usage. Educating students on AI fundamentals helps them utilise AI tools like ChatGPT effectively. This study offers valuable insights on ChatGPT among pharmacy students, with implications for responsible AI usage and education.