Everyone has heard about the latest technological advancements by now—it’s everywhere. Artificial Intelligence is in my feed, my study tools, my conversations with professors, and honestly, in the back of my mind whenever I consider what kind of doctor I want to be. Many classes here at UC Davis have reshaped curriculums to use AI as a study tool or a way to analyze papers in a comparative manner. But as a STEM student with plans to enter the medical field, I can’t help but ask: is AI coming for us, or is it coming to help us?
When ChatGPT originally came out in 2022, it changed the way we thought about communication, writing, and accessing knowledge. We saw users utilizing AI to draft emails, analyze research papers, or even help diagnose medical diseases. It’s quite wild and frankly, disorienting. For students in medicine, biology, engineering, and beyond, the promise of AI is thrilling. Faster innovation, more accurate diagnostics, less time spent on repetitive tasks? Yes, please.
But underneath all that excitement, there’s still an underlying question—what happens to us?
If AI can read scans faster than a radiologist, will there still be jobs in radiology by the time I get there? If generative AI can write, analyze, and translate faster than we ever could, what happens to the human side of science—the empathy, the intuition, the hard work that makes it real?
It’s not just about job security- it also lies in identity. I chose to be a STEM student because I wanted to solve issues that matter. I wanted to connect with others through the world of science and be part of newfound discoveries that progressed us as humans. And I wonder—in an AI-powered world, would does that kind of work still exist?
Of course AI isn’t inherently evil; it’s a tool. The use of that tool simply lies in the hands that choose to use it. What excites me is that my generation will be the first hands to do so. As students, we’re going to be the generation shaping how AI is used—whether it’s applied ethically and compassionately. We get to be the people that ask “should we?” instead of “can we?”
Perhaps that’s where the answer lies. I don’t have to choose between being worried or excited- maybe I can be both. I can keep the space for the fear of the unknown while still realizing how this tech could revolutionize patient care and global education.
AI is taking over everything. But maybe, if we stay grounded in our value —we won’t be left behind.