Unlocking the Power of AI: Healthcare Workforce Perception and Its Impact on their Work Performance in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To investigate the perception of AI among the healthcare workforce and its impact on their performance, with technology readiness acting as a moderating factor.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a close-ended, self-administered survey questionnaire was used between 02 June to 04 August, 2024 to collect responses from 434 participants working in the public hospitals in Hail health cluster in Saudi Arabia. The study employed demographic summaries, descriptive statistics, regression analysis using Hayes' Process, and regression diagnostics for data analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.

Results: The participant demographics indicated a majority of male respondents from the medical field, primarily aged between 36-45 years. Most participants had 9-10 or more years of experience in their current position and held graduate degrees in the healthcare sector of Saudi Arabia. Regression analysis using Hayes' Process showed an insignificant negative impact of AI perception on workforce performance (β_1 = -0.0062, p = .315). However, technology readiness significantly moderated this effect, turning it into a positive and significant impact (β_3 = 0.2512, p = .0209).

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that while AI perception alone has a negligible effect on workforce performance, its influence becomes significant when moderated by higher levels of technology readiness. Future research should examine how factors such as organizational culture and resource availability influence AI perceptions in healthcare.