Cautious Optimism: A Cross-Sectional Survey of AI Adoption, Attitudes, and Future Expectations Among Chinese Cosmetic Physicians
Youyou Li, Jiancheng Li, Jianquan Yan, Yannan Li, Qin LiBackground:
The integration of AI into China’s expanding cosmetic medicine market represents a key technological shift, yet physician perspectives remain underexplored.
Objective:
This study aimed to provide an exploratory assessment of the current landscape, focusing on usage, attitudes, and expectations.
Method:
A cross-sectional online survey of 162 licensed Chinese cosmetic physicians used a pretested structured questionnaire to assess AI usage, attitudes, and concerns using descriptive statistics, χ 2 tests (FDR-corrected), effect sizes, and binary logistic regression.
Result:
Substantial AI adoption: 41.4% used AI weekly, with 77.6% of weekly users reporting increased use from the prior year. Top applications were academic research (48.1%) and medical training (44.4%). Physicians held cautious optimism, valuing AI’s potential for personalized care (69.1%) but prioritizing concerns about misleading diagnosis (65.4%) and patient privacy (59.3%). Higher usage correlated with greater perceived benefits (adjusted OR=2.1,
Conclusion:
Chinese cosmetic physicians actively adopt AI in supportive roles amid cautious optimism, with demographic factors shaping acceptance. Reliable, explainable tools, education, and ethical guidelines are critical for responsible integration.