Cape Town – A recent study on clinical training has suggested that although South African students have a positive attitude toward AI, human educators are still needed.
The study, published in Trends in Higher Education, set out to understand South African higher education students’ knowledge, attitudes, and acceptance of AI teaching assistants.
“The findings suggest that students’ acceptance of AI is shaped not only by perceived usefulness and ease of use, but also by the demands of clinical training, where experiential learning and human supervision remain essential,” author Zijing Hu of the study said.
“These findings extend existing understandings of technology acceptance by illustrating how AI is positioned as a complementary, rather than substitutive, tool within practice-based learning contexts.”
A key aspect of AI that the participants of the study appreciated included accessibility and convenience.
However, despite the positive response participants had towards AI, the study indicated that students had potentially limited awareness of how AI works.
“Participants expressed concerns regarding the reliability and accuracy of AI-generated information and emphasized the importance of verifying AI outputs through credible academic sources,” the authors explained.
The study’s emphasis on human-centred learning is also echoed by a UNESCO mandate, which has previously called for a “human-centred approach to AI”.
To promote readiness of education policy-makers in AI, UNESCO developed Artificial intelligence and education: Guidance for policy-makers.
“It aims to generate a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges that AI offers for education, as well as its implications for the core competencies needed in the AI era,” UNESCO stated on their website.
The study by Hu explained how AI tools cannot yet replace human educators, particularly in clinical education where aspects such as professional judgment, mentorship, and experience are relevant.
Zijing Hu is from the Department of Complementary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Reference:
Hu, Z. (2026). Exploring Student Acceptance of AI Teaching Assistants in African Higher Education. Trends in Higher Education, 5(3), 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu5030053