Making emotional intelligence explicit in AI ‐enhanced medical education: A curriculum perspective

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing medical education through simulation, personalised learning, and automated feedback. However, its integration into medical curricula raises important questions about preserving the human qualities essential to medical practice. Emotional intelligence (EI), encompassing self‐awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and relationship management, is fundamental to patient‐centred communication and professional development, yet it may remain an implicit rather than an explicitly defined curriculum outcome. This curriculum perspective argues for the longitudinal integration of EI into undergraduate medical education. Drawing on established curriculum theories and emerging evidence on EI development and AI‐supported communication training, it proposes aligning EI learning outcomes with teaching activities, authentic patient encounters, reflective practice, mentorship, and assessment. AI‐assisted simulations may provide safe opportunities for students to practise communication and receive feedback, but they should complement rather than replace authentic interpersonal experiences and educator‐guided reflection. The article highlights the importance of curriculum mapping to support progressive EI development across preclinical, simulation‐based, and clinical learning environments. Making EI explicit within the formal curriculum can help ensure that technological innovation strengthens, rather than compromises, the humanistic foundations of medical education.