This focused symposium examines the future of physiotherapy education through the intersection of two rapidly evolving and, at times, competing domains: artificial intelligence (AI) and planetary health. As global health systems face unprecedented challenges including climate change, ageing populations, and widening health inequities, physiotherapy education must adapt to prepare graduates who are both technologically and environmentally informed and responsible. This session brings together diverse international perspectives to critically explore whether these agendas can be integrated, balanced, and, if possible, reconciled.

AI is increasingly shaping physiotherapy education and practice through large language model use, data-driven decision-making, personalised and tele-rehabilitation. These innovations offer opportunities to enhance access, efficiency, and quality of care. However, they also raise important questions regarding academic integrity, digital literacy, real added value, ethical use, and the environmental costs associated with digital infrastructure. In contrast, planetary health emphasises the interdependence of human health and environmental systems, calling for sustainable healthcare practices, reduced carbon footprints, and curricula that prepare physiotherapists to respond to climate-related health challenges.

The symposium adopts a dual-perspective approach, positioning AI and planetary health as both complementary and conflicting priorities. Speakers from Europe and Southeast Asia will provide insights into how these themes are understood and operationalised across different contexts. Presentations will address (1) the implementation of AI in physiotherapy education and its implications for teaching, learning, and professional identity; (2) the current evidence base underpinning planetary health in physiotherapy; (3) empirical insights into physiotherapists’ and students’ knowledge, attitudes, and expectations regarding planetary health; and (4) innovations in digital and sustainable education both from a global north and global south perspective.

Collectively, these contributions will highlight key educational challenges, including curriculum overload, competing priorities, and the need for culturally sensitive and contextually relevant approaches to physiotherapy education which value equal access to digital resources. The session will also address broader professional issues such as the role of physiotherapists in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular goals 4 and 12) and the Rehabilitation 2030 agenda (in particular priority areas 6 and 10). Attention will be paid to how educators can navigate tensions between high-resource technological solutions and low-resource, sustainable models of care.

The symposium will facilitate discussion and share practical, evidence-informed strategies for integrating AI and planetary health into physiotherapy curricula. Emphasis will be placed on fostering critical thinking, ethical awareness, and adaptability among learners. By combining critical reflection with practical guidance, this session will support educators and practitioners in translating emerging global priorities into concrete curriculum innovation and professional practice.

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