Purpose
Educational experiences that are active, contextual, integrated and student-owned leads to deeper learning. Some of the major challenges that educationists face are student to faculty ratio, short attention span, rote learning, and inadequate engagement in class sessions. To combat these challenges, Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is being adopted in most medical schools where students formulate objectives, identify resources, analyze and synthesize the problem through interactive discussions. With the advent of AI it is important for medical educators to look for novel innovative pedagogy abreast with technological advancements. To implement this method of SDL to current Gen Z students, we have leveraged AI technology (chatbot) in collaboration with the business school at Oakland University to aid medical students actively engage in developing Higher Order Thinking (HOT)and lifelong learning skills. The primary objective of this research project is to assess student perceptions and the impact resulting from the implementation of an in-house coded artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot within the Gastrointestinal (GI) course.

Methods
Multiple authentic case vignettes were developed by a team of experts teaching the GI system. Using dialogue flow from Google a bot was created using user routes (utterances), intents (training phrases, actions and other parameters). The chatbot acted as a dynamic virtual trainer in solving problems. An online Qualtrics survey using likert-style and open-ended questions was sent and responses were collected regarding their interaction with the system and student's perception and attitudes of using AI chatbots for solving the case. To protect participant privacy, survey responses were not directly linked to any identifying information of participants. T-tests and ANOVA tests were used to analyze quantitative data.

Results
The study is currently in progress. A pilot study has shown that student perception and attitudes of the chatbot system was very encouraging. Students found that navigating through the line app was easy. Most students found the questions and the prompts helped them to think to arrive at an answer. The integration of anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology with clinical interpretations through a dialogue flow with each case helped in understanding the pathophysiological concepts and retention of knowledge. More data is being analyzed and more student recruitment would provide more insight into the statistical significance of the study.

Conclusion
In the era of digital technology and digital natives, this research provides insights about AI technology and can contribute to broader discussions on integration of AI within other academic disciplines, expanding the horizon of AI’s pedagogical potential. In conclusion, AI chatbots are likely to have a positive impact on student engagement, learning outcomes, and educational experiences to promote their life-long learning skills.