Objective To investigate the effectiveness of applying a voice-interactive artificial intelligence (AI) agent in the teaching of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Methods Fourth-year undergraduate students enrolled at West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, from September 2024 to June 2025 were included. Students were randomly assigned by class into two groups: an AI-assisted teaching group (experimental group) that utilized a voice-interactive AI agent, and a traditional face-to-face teaching group (control group). ResultsA total of 227 students were enrolled, with 122 in the experimental group and 105 in the control group. The average final exam score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group [(88.34±5.75) vs. (84.30±8.10) points, P<0.001]. The course attendance rate was similar between the experimental and control groups [97.30% (2849/2928) vs. 97.34% (2453/2520)]. However, participation in thought-provoking questions was higher in the experimental group than in the control group [92.08% (2696/2928) vs. 83.17% (2096/2520)]. All evaluations of course satisfaction in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Teaching of oral and maxillofacial surgery driven by a voice-interactive AI agent demonstrated markedly better outcomes compared with the traditional instructional model.
