Faculty Lag Behind Students in Adopting AI Tools, Study Reveals

A recent report reveals that faculty members have been slower to adopt AI tools compared to students, despite the increasing popularity of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. The report, conducted by Tyton Partners, found that while almost half of the student population has embraced AI tools, only 22 percent of faculty members have done the same.

The study, which surveyed approximately 1,600 students and 1,000 faculty members across more than 600 institutions, was conducted in September and sponsored by Turnitin. When it comes to AI, it appears that students are more intrigued by its potential than their instructors. Cathy Shaw, a director at Tyton, commented that the gap between student use and faculty use is a trend to keep an eye on.

Faculty members who are well-versed in AI understand its significance. A significant 75 percent of regular AI users among faculty believe that students will need to master generative AI in a professional setting to thrive. However, despite this understanding, the faculty is taking a cautious approach towards both adoption and policy-setting.

Generative AI, such as AI text generator and AI images generator tools, started making waves in academic discussions following the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. Tyton, an advisory firm focusing on the global knowledge sector, initially polled faculty and students about the technology in March. The latest ai news from the firm provides an update on the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in academia.

While the adoption rate may be low, both students and faculty have shown an increase in their use of generative AI over the past year. This spring, only 9 percent of faculty members were using AI writing tools. By fall, this number had risen to 22 percent. Students have shown a higher adoption rate from the start, with usage increasing from 27 percent in spring 2023 to 49 percent in fall 2023.

The study defined “adoption” as daily, weekly, or monthly usage of generative AI products. The applications of generative AI writing tools varied among students, with daily users primarily using AI for summarizing or paraphrasing text, organizing their schedule, and answering homework questions. Non-daily users found the tools most useful for understanding complex concepts, summarizing or paraphrasing text, and assisting with writing assignments.

For faculty members who do use AI, the most common use (43 percent) was running prompts through an AI tool to “see” what their students see. More than a third (35 percent) used the tools to teach students how to effectively use generative AI writing tools. Nearly one-third (29 percent) used the tools to create more engaging in-class activities.

Interestingly, the study found that students would continue using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools even if they were banned. A majority of students who identify as AI “users” (75 percent) said they would likely continue using the AI tools if they were banned. Half of the students who were “non-users” also stated they would be somewhat likely to use the AI tools if they were banned.

The report highlights a disconnect: faculty members believe AI will be important in the job market, but they infrequently use it in the classroom. Shaw noted that next year’s spring study will likely delve deeper into why faculty are hesitant to adopt generative AI writing tools.

The report found that 75 percent of faculty members who regularly use AI believe students will need to know how to use the technology in a professional setting to succeed. Almost half of faculty members who are “non-regular” AI users reported a similar belief. However, student enthusiasm for AI’s impact at work was less pronounced. Only about one-third of “non-user” students believe they will need to know how to use the tools to succeed. More than half of students (55 percent) who use generative AI at least monthly believe they will need to know how to use these tools in future workplaces.

The report also found that faculty attitudes towards the impact of generative AI on work and academic performance have become more positive over the last six months. In spring 2023, half of faculty members believed generative AI writing tools would have a negative impact on student learning. This number dropped to 39 percent in fall 2023. Student opinions on AI’s impact on learning remained largely unchanged.

Despite the increased use of AI tools among faculty and students, institutions varied on implementing systemwide policies. About a third (32 percent) of private, four-year institutions rely on instructors to set their own policy, while more than a quarter (26 percent) have institutionwide policies. Public four-year institutions are split on policies: 28 percent have set policies at the institution level, while 25 percent are unsure if any policies have been established.