From Code to Care: A Pilot Exploration of Scenario-Based Trust in Medical AI Among Digitally Native Youth

Background: Artificial intelligence is increasingly embedded in clinical workflows, yet public trust remains cautious and context-dependent. Most research on medical AI trust focuses on adult populations in high-income Western countries, leaving digitally native youth in emerging regions understudied. Objective: This exploratory pilot study investigates how young people from Central Asia and other regions perceive medical AI across concrete care scenarios. Methods: An online scenario-based survey (n=41) was administered to primarily 13–24-year-old respondents (53.7% Central Asia; 65.9% daily AI users). Results: Participants favored AI for rapid, low-risk access but strongly preferred human clinicians when AI conflicted with physician judgment. Attitudes toward AI for emotional support were polarized. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest context-dependent trust patterns among digitally native youth, with AI potentially serving as a "second-opinion catalyst" rather than a replacement for clinicians.