What Students Want: Key Results from DEC Global AI Student Survey 2024

86% of students globally are regularly using AI in their studies, with 54% of them using AI on a weekly basis, the recent Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey found.

ChatGPT was found to be the most widely used AI tool, with 66% of students using it, and over 2 in 3 students reported using AI for information searching.

Despite their high rates of AI usage, 1 in 2 students do not feel AI ready. 58% reported that they do not feel that they had sufficient AI knowledge and skills, and 48% do not feel adequately prepared for an AI-enabled workplace.

The Digital Education Council survey was conducted in July 2024 and comprised responses from more than 3,800 students from 16 countries.

“The rise in AI usage forces institutions to see AI as core infrastructure rather than a tool” says Alessandro Di Lullo, CEO of the Digital Education Council and Academic Fellow in AI Governance at The University of Hong Kong. At the same time, “universities need to consider how to effectively boost AI literacy to equip both students and academics with the skills to succeed in an AI-driven world”, he adds.

Students have expectations and preferences for AI applications and integrations in their universities, but are dissatisfied with the current state of AI in universities, with 80% of students saying that AI in universities are not fully meeting expectations.

Mr. Di Lullo said “given that only 5% of students indicated that they were fully aware of AI guidelines and feel that they are fully comprehensive - universities should swiftly respond to this dissatisfaction by improving AI guidelines and communicating them well. A starting point is the DEC AI Governance Framework that we published in June 2024.”

With expectations for AI integration in universities and their learning, students have also expressed concerns, with the most concern around privacy and data security when using AI, and the trustworthiness of AI-generated content.

60% of students worried about the fairness of AI evaluations in another key area of concern among students. Students are wary of AI application in teaching and learning, in particular, the use of AI by teachers in assessments and evaluations.

Over 50% of students also believe that over-reliance on AI will negatively impact their academic performance, and that over-reliance in teaching decreases the value they receive from their education. To assuage concerns among students, universities looking to embrace AI will have to strike a balance between integration and over-reliance.

The application and use of AI in education is becoming the new standard, and universities will need to take steps to ensure that they have appropriate measures and preparations in place to guide AI integration in their organisations. Understanding student attitudes on AI in higher education will be key to effective AI integration in universities.

Daniel Bielik, President of the Digital Education Council, says: “The next two stages of development - ‘Disruptive Use Cases’ and ‘Societal Transformation’ are yet to be realised. Investment in AI technologies is at an all-time high. Those who remember the dot-com bubble will be watching for the investment tide to potentially go out, only to be replaced with transformational use cases shortly thereafter”.

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DEC Global AI Student Survey 2024 available here