Surveys highlight AI’s growth, uncertain future in higher education

Two recent surveys show the impact artificial intelligence is already having on higher education, as well as continued uncertainty about rules that may or may not exist to govern its use.

In a nationwide study of 4,000 students studying for associate and bachelor’s degrees, Gallup and the nonprofit Lumina Foundation found that 57% use AI daily or weekly for their schoolwork, while only 13% say they never use it. However, 53% of respondents said their academic institution discourages the use of AI or bans it altogether, while 52% also report a lack of clear guidance on specific use policies in class.

“AI is already embedded in students’ academic lives,” Courtney Brown, Lumina’s vice president of impact and planning, said in a statement. “Higher education has an opportunity and a responsibility to move from uncertainty to clarity. Students need transparent expectations, ethical guidance and practical training so they can use AI in ways that strengthen learning and prepare them for the workforce.”

This survey comes at a moment where educational institutions for those of all ages wrestle with the role of AI in learning and reckon with how students can use it responsibly. Researchers at the nonprofit New America previously called on city governments to work more closely with higher education institutions to help each other adopt the tech for public good, and it acknowledged that such efforts “remain uncommon.”

Meanwhile, others are reckoning with the effects of AI on students’ learning. Arielle Roth, the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, has suggested studying the effect of screen time and AI in educational technology on students and potentially tying school subsidies to that effort.

But this Gallup survey shows just how embedded AI has become. Among students who use AI for their schoolwork at least monthly, 86% say a very or extremely important reason is to better understand complex course material. They also say it saves time (76%), improves grades (70%) and helps them prepare for their future career (65%).

Among those who use AI at least infrequently, their most common uses include getting help with coursework they don’t understand and checking answers on assignments. At least 60% of AI users report doing these activities daily or weekly.

Despite this rapid adoption and fairly widespread use, students reported that their institutions have failed to implement policies to keep up with these new behaviors. Just 7% of students surveyed said their institution encourages AI use as much as possible, while 42% said their school discourages its use and 11% ban it outright.

Even where restrictions exist, students continue to use AI regularly: 48% of students at schools that discourage AI still use it weekly, as do 27% of students at schools that prohibit it. Policy clarity also varies across classrooms.

Just 51% of students at four-year institutions and 43% at two-year colleges say all their courses have clear AI policies. Those in courses that are the least likely to encourage using AI — like the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences — said they are the most likely to have comprehensive AI policies.

“This may suggest that faculty are currently doing a better job of clearly communicating policies that discourage AI use, rather than policies that clearly outline appropriate use,” the report says. “Technology students are also among the most likely to say all of their courses have clear AI policies, which may be related to technologically savvy faculty members having a stronger understanding of AI, on average, than their peers in other disciplines.”

A separate survey of 94,000 staff, students and faculty at the California State University had similar findings. That poll found that 53% of respondents across CSU’s 22 universities use AI regularly, while 56% of faculty said the technology has had a positive impact on teaching and research. The vast majority — 95% — said they have used at least one AI tool.

But there are issues on campuses across the state. Interest is high across the board in AI training, with more than 80% of staff and 70% of faculty calling for a formal framework. Half of students expressed the same sentiment. And there are concerns about job security: 82% of students, 78% of faculty and 74% of staff said they are concerned about AI’s impact on future employment. Similar numbers said they believe AI will become an essential part of most professions.​

Those behind the study said they hope it can help guide future thinking on AI’s role in academic learning.

“This survey captures a moment of transition in higher education, where both students and faculty are actively assessing how AI fits into teaching and learning,” said David Goldberg, an AI Faculty Fellow and associate professor of management information systems at San Diego State University and a lead researcher on the survey. “The data gives us a powerful foundation to better support faculty by tailoring training to real needs, bringing more consistency to AI use in the classroom, and ensuring that its use strengthens learning outcomes. It also offers a roadmap for institutions nationwide to better understand AI’s role and to implement it thoughtfully, consistently, and responsibly.”