Survey: Student AI Use on the Rise

Ninety-three percent of students across the United States have used AI at least once or twice for school-related purposes, according to the latest AI in Education report from Microsoft. In partnership with PSB Insights, the company surveyed American students ages 16 and older as well as international educators and academic leaders across K–12 and higher education (totaling 1,851 respondents) to better understand the state of AI in education, how it's being used today, and how it might be used in the future.

The report notes that student AI usage is on the upswing, with the percentage of students in the U.S. reporting that they use AI "often" for school-related purposes rising by 26 percentage points, compared to last year. Conversely, the share of students who said they have never used AI dropped by 20 points from last year. Forty-two percent of students said they use AI weekly for school, and 30% said they use it daily.

Students reported a variety of use cases for AI; notably, plagiarism ("using AI to do my assignments for me") ranked among the lowest on the list:

  • To help me get started and brainstorm on my assignments (cited by 37% of respondents);
  • To summarize information for me (33%);
  • To get the answers or information I need more quickly (33%);
  • To get initial feedback on my work (32%);
  • To help me learn or study in the way that works best for me (30%);
  • To improve my writing skills (28%);
  • To make my presentations and projects more visually appealing (25%);
  • To develop the skills I need for my future (22%);
  • To do my assignments for me (22%);
  • To enhance my creativity (21%);
  • To free up my time to focus on learning and connection (21%); and
  • To help me better take care of myself and my well-being (19%).

Top student concerns about AI were:

  • Potential to be accused of plagiarism or cheating (cited by 33% of respondents);
  • Potential for becoming overly dependent on AI tools (30%);
  • Misinformation leading to inaccurate use or interpretation of AI-generated content (28%);
  • Loss of the most meaningful and enjoyable parts of learning (24%); and
  • Ethical concerns, such as impact on human autonomy and responsibility for AI-driven actions (24%).

The report offers several recommendations around the use of AI in education:

  • Engage with educators and students to find out what's working well and where there are additional opportunities.
  • Embrace experimentation with new ways of enhancing learning by using AI to complement traditional learning methods — not to replace them.
  • Invite students to the table to provide input on institutional AI plans.

The full report is available here on the Microsoft site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured