A Shocking Percentage of College Students Are Using AI Academically
“Students described turning to AI to brainstorm ideas, draft outlines, generate first drafts, and clarify complex concepts.”
This technology is advancing faster than any related policy can be created.
Forbes reports:
90% Of College Students Use AI: Higher Ed Needs AI Fluency Support Now
The clearest signal yet that artificial intelligence has moved from the margins to the mainstream in higher education comes from the 2025 AI in Education Trends Report conducted by Copyleaks. Drawing on a survey of more than 1,100 U.S. students across two-year colleges, four-year universities, and graduate programs, the report found that 90% of students have used AI academically, with nearly three-quarters saying their usage increased over the past year.
The adoption isn’t confined to undergraduates. In fact, the largest share of respondents—43.9%—were adult learners between the ages of 45 and 60. Another 27% were 30–44, and only 29% were 18–29. That means AI isn’t just a Gen Z study hack; it’s also becoming a core tool for mid-career and lifelong learners returning to higher ed. Students described turning to AI to brainstorm ideas, draft outlines, generate first drafts, and clarify complex concepts. Their motivations echo a constructive intent: Saving time, improving the quality of their work, and sharpening their understanding.
This U.S. survey is not an outlier. A global study by the Digital Education Council found that 86% of students across 16 countries already incorporate AI into their studies, with more than half using it weekly. That study emphasized that students were not waiting for faculty or administrators to set the pace; they were adopting AI on their own terms. Closer to home, the Harvard Undergraduate Generative AI Survey revealed that nearly nine in ten Harvard students had already used AI in their coursework. Many reported that AI helped them refine their ideas and improve their writing.
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Comments
“Many reported that AI helped them refine their ideas and improve their writing.”
AI “work” is often DEI quality.
I received a thank-you email this week from the mother of the boy who got suspended for disarming a classmate. It was so meaningless that it HAD to have been written by AI. It seemed to be trying to say something, but never actually did. It was like listening to a Kamala speech. Damn shame.
Actually, no reason not to just post it, since it is publicly available here, under “most recent update.”
https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-sakir-everett-a-brave-student
That kid wasn’t a hero. He was given a gun by another kid to hold it and chose to hide it (took out the bullets though) rather than turn it in. I don’t think he should be expelled, but he’s really neither villain nor hero.
Ironically, they are the disconnected generation. From reality. The Borg Collective is here. Is resistance futile?
We need to treat it like voting. No more papers. Exams in person with a time limit. First use of AI is an F in the course. Second use is expulsion.
I agree with MajorWood, although I might not be quite as harsh (F in the paper or project or test.) And I totally agree that there is a need to go back to some paper-and-pen tests in person. (I also would ban electronic devices and cell phones during classroom lectures. Tired of guest lecturing to students doing “something else”, and typing up and fleshing out notes remains a good way to study.)
There is a role for AI, and it’s not going away, but courses are needed regarding how to use it properly, and how to construct prompts that don’t lead to hallucinating, as well as alerting users to the poison problem, which apparently afflicts all of the programs. https://www.lakera.ai/blog/training-data-poisoning
In other shocking news, 100% of students report using the internet for research, computers and word processing software for writing, texts and emails for communicating, and cars for getting around. Skills at browsing the stacks, penmanship, conversation, and walking suffer.
The end is nigh.
I dont see anything wrong with using
AI to do outlines , first drafts, or brainstorm ideas…. it’s a tool.