Pandora’s Box in AI-Powered Assessment in Medical Education

Abstract

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education represents a transformative opportunity, but also an ethical and pedagogical challenge. In the field of university medical education, the use of AI in assessment processes opens a “Pandora’s box”: it unleashes potential benefits for formative assessment and competency development but also risks that threaten the authenticity and humanisation of the educational process. This essay critically analyses the “Pandora’s box” metaphor in AI-mediated assessment, from a constructivist perspective and in accordance with the Mexican regulatory framework for higher education, highlighting the need to integrate technology in an ethical, formative, and student-centred manner.