Objective To explore the effectiveness of an AI-CARE intelligent teaching model in virtual simulation teaching for hospice care. Methods A quasi-experimental design was adopted.Twenty-six third-year undergraduate nursing students recruited between September 2024 and January 2025 were assigned to the control group and received conventional virtual simulation teaching.Another 26 third-year students recruited between March and July 2025 were treated as the experimental group and received the AI-CARE intelligent teaching model.Grounded in Kolb′s experiential learning theory, the AI-CARE model comprised four core components: Cognition (cognitive construction), Action (practical operation), Reflection (reflective feedback), and Empathy (empathy cultivation), integrated with artificial intelligence technologies to deliver personalized content, real-time feedback, and intelligent assessment.Palliative care knowledge and attitudes toward end-of-life care were compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Results The experimental group had significantly higher scores on palliative care knowledge and attitudes toward end-of-life care compared with the control group （both P＜0.05）. Conclusion The AI-CARE intelligent teaching model can enhance the effectiveness of virtual simulation teaching in hospice care, as well as students′ palliative care knowledge and attitudes toward end-of-life care.