Brain HealthAI in Medical Training May Create Doctors Who Never Learned to Think
A perspective article in Nature Medicine introduces the concept of 'never-skilling' — a risk distinct from deskilling, where medical trainees who rely on AI too early in their training may simply never develop the foundational clinical reasoning skills required for safe, independent practice. The authors also identify 'mis-skilling,' where uncritical acceptance of AI errors causes trainees to internalize flawed medical knowledge. Drawing on established learning theory and early empirical signals from non-clinical fields, the authors propose a three-phase framework: first building AI-independent baseline competency, then developing critical calibration through structured pedagogy, and finally integrating AI under supervision. The article calls for urgent pedagogy research to inform future educational policy as AI adoption in medical schools accelerates.
