How Should Artificial Intelligence be Integrated into Midwifery Education? Opinions of Turkish Midwifery Students: A Qualitative Study

In the coming decade, the way healthcare is delivered and taught is expected to change dramatically, driven largely by a field known as artificial intelligence. This technology, which allows computers to learn from data and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence, is already reshaping many industries. In medicine, it offers the promise of faster diagnoses, better patient care, and more efficient training for future doctors and nurses. However, one specific group of healthcare providers has not yet been fully integrated into this digital shift: midwives. These are the specialists who guide women through pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in hospitals and clinics, educators face a critical question: how should this powerful tool be woven into the training of future midwives? The answer is not simple, because while the technology offers clear benefits, it also raises deep concerns about human connection, privacy, and the very nature of care.

To understand how to move forward, researchers in Turkey turned to the people who will be using these tools: the students themselves. A team of scholars from three different universities conducted a study to listen to the voices of sixty-two midwifery students. They did not ask for simple yes-or-no answers or fill out surveys; instead, they gathered the students into eight separate groups for long, open conversations. These discussions allowed the students to share their honest thoughts, fears, and hopes about a future where their education might be supported by smart computer systems. The goal was to find out not just if the students liked the idea of artificial intelligence, but how they believed it should actually be introduced into their classrooms and clinical training.

The conversation that emerged from these groups revealed a striking consensus. The students did not reject the idea of artificial intelligence; in fact, they saw its potential to make their education better and their future work more effective. However, the overwhelming feeling was that the time for full integration had not yet arrived. One student described the current state of the technology as feeling like science fiction, while another noted that the community was not yet mentally or systematically ready for such a shift. The researchers found that the students believed the conditions for success were simply not mature enough. They saw a future where artificial intelligence could help, but they felt that trying to force it into the curriculum right now would be premature.

When the students imagined a successful integration, they pointed to several ways the technology could help. They believed that artificial intelligence could make learning faster and more permanent, allowing them to grasp complex concepts more easily. They imagined using virtual reality and holograms to practice difficult procedures without risking harm to a real patient, which would build their confidence before they ever stepped into a delivery room. There was also a strong hope that these tools could reduce the heavy administrative burden on teachers. If a computer could handle routine tasks like grading or organizing data, the human instructors would have more time to focus on the students themselves. Furthermore, the students saw potential in using these systems to predict risks, helping them identify potential complications in childbirth before they happened, which could ultimately save lives.

Yet, alongside these hopes, the students voiced serious concerns that they felt could derail the entire effort. A major worry centered on the human element of midwifery. They argued that a computer, no matter how advanced, could never truly understand empathy or cultural sensitivity. They questioned how a machine could comfort a shaking hand or respond to the unique emotional needs of a family from a different background. They feared that relying too much on technology might erode the ability to form genuine connections with patients. There were also practical fears about privacy and security. The students worried that using these systems could lead to leaks of private patient information or that students might use the technology to bypass academic integrity standards, undermining the integrity of their education. Some even expressed a fear of becoming too dependent on the technology, worrying that their own critical thinking skills might weaken if they relied on a computer to do the thinking for them.

The study also highlighted what would be needed to make this transition work, should it ever happen. The students were clear that it would require significant investment. They noted that building the necessary infrastructure, such as secure internet networks and powerful computers, would cost a great deal of money, and they doubted that current budgets could support it. They called for a complete overhaul of the curriculum, suggesting that courses should be updated to include specific training on how to use these tools responsibly. They emphasized that teachers themselves would need to learn how to use the technology before they could teach it. Most importantly, they insisted that the development of these tools should not be left to engineers alone; it would require close collaboration between the experts who build the software and the midwives who understand the realities of childbirth.

Ultimately, the paper concludes that while the integration of artificial intelligence into midwifery education is inevitable, it is a journey that requires patience and preparation. The students appreciate the advantages the technology could bring, but they are wary of rushing into a system that is not yet ready. They see a future where artificial intelligence supports their learning and improves patient care, but only if the human side of medicine is protected and the necessary foundations are built first. The path forward, according to these future midwives, is not to adopt the technology immediately, but to prepare the ground, train the teachers, and ensure that the tools are designed to serve the unique needs of the people they will one day care for.