INTELLIGENT MOTION: INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTO PHYSIOTHERAPY EDUCATION

Abstract

AI is not just a future reality in healthcare education; it's a present reality that is reshaping the field. At the heart of physiotherapy lies the practice of observation, touch, and movement analysis, a field where AI can complement, not supplant, these essential clinical skills. This chapter provides a practical, evidence-based blueprint for sustainable AI integration in physiotherapy education. This convergence is illustrated by a reimagined “AI-Enhanced Musculoskeletal Assessment Lab.” Studies illustrate measurable improvements in clinical reasoning and movement competency: AI-enhanced gait analysis teaching and a virtual neurorehabilitation platform. Ethical, legal, and equity issues are integrated throughout, along with an honest faculty development and phased implementation plan. This chapter offers a glimpse into the future of the 2030 physiotherapy classroom, where AI becomes a trusted teaching assistant, constantly refining clinical judgment, manual dexterity, and empathetic care.