# Insights From Michael Polanyi: Tacit Knowledge and Its Critical Importance in Medical Education

## TL;DR

This paper explores whether AI and machine learning can support or replace hands-on teaching in medical education.

## Contribution

It critically examines the role of tacit knowledge in medical education amid digital transformation.

## Key findings

- AI and ML are increasing in virtual medical education.
- Direct interaction is crucial for transferring tacit knowledge.
- The future of bedside teaching is at risk due to digital trends.

## Abstract

With the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (the digital age), medical education is undergoing dramatic change. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have driven an increase in virtual learning sessions and meetings. Bedside teaching is increasingly at risk of becoming an endangered mode of education. Tacit knowledge, as defined and explained by Michael Polanyi, relies heavily on direct interaction with a teacher and mentor. The question, therefore, arises, “Can artificial intelligence and machine learning function as meaningful adjuncts that support the transfer of tacit knowledge in medical education, or will bedside teaching ultimately be replaced entirely by machine learning and artificial intelligence?”