Nagasaki University in southwestern Japan and a local systems development company have unveiled an artificial intelligence program that lets medical students practice interviews with virtual patients on a screen.

The development comes as regional universities struggle to secure simulated patients, who require training to accurately reproduce symptoms of real cases, the university said, amid population declines in many of Japan's local areas.

In a demonstration in early March, an AI patient reported having a fever and cough for two to three days and responded appropriately to questions from a person acting as a medical student. The university plans to introduce the program in March 2026.

By utilizing the AI technology, universities are expected to enhance medical training for their students through interactions with a range of virtual patients who differ in age, gender and symptoms.

"We will add scoring and feedback functions (to the system). We hope it will lead to more efficient study methods and improve the quality of learning," said Shinya Kawashiri, an associate professor at the university's School of Medicine.

Toru Kobayashi, a professor at the university's School of Information and Data Sciences, called it a "new endeavor" in Japan.