Artificial Intelligence in Midwifery: A Scoping Review of Current Applications, Future Prospects, and Midwives’ Perspectives

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered one of the core technological advancements of Industry 4.0, expected to transform various sectors, including healthcare. Midwifery can greatly benefit from AI; however, its current use, its future potential, and midwives’ attitudes remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of, prospects of, and attitudes of midwives toward AI. Methods: A scoping review was carried out, following the PRISMA guidelines. The search was conducted in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science, from database inception to 2 February 2025. Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Although AI is not yet widely implemented in midwifery, it has notable potential. Several potential benefits were recorded, such as the enhancement of clinical education through personalized learning tools, such as AI-driven virtual patients and customized assessments, as well as a reduction in clinical errors via predictive models and real-time monitoring technologies. The adoption of AI is therefore expected to improve quality of care, particularly in perinatal and neonatal settings. However, it was found that the integration remains limited due to two key obstacles: ethical concerns (e.g., data privacy) and a notable level of anxiety or hesitation among midwives, associated with low levels of digital health literacy. Conclusions: It is important to form a relevant framework regarding the use of AI in midwifery, addressing ethical concerns and skepticism. Additionally, targeted educational interventions are needed to enhance midwives’ AI literacy and alleviate concerns. In general, it is essential to overcome these barriers to accelerate AI adoption in midwifery and unlock its full potential in perinatal care.