Half of students pursuing higher education in the United States said that mastering artificial intelligence (AI) is the most important skill they expect to acquire during their college years, according to a new Grammarly survey.
The survey of 2,000 students enrolled in degree programs in U.S. colleges highlighted the rapid adoption of AI technology on campuses and its perceived necessity for future success.
Why It Matters
AI has quickly shifted from a theoretical concept to a foundational aspect of education and workforce readiness.
The trend comes amid debate among educators and policymakers over how best to integrate AI into academic environments. Advocates for AI education argue that such skills are vital for navigating an increasingly automated world, while critics point to challenges like academic honesty, privacy and the need to balance digital tools with human interaction.
Students cheer during the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. RICK FRIEDMAN/AFP via Getty Images
What to Know: How College Students Are Embracing AI — and Why It Matters
A growing number of college students see artificial intelligence not as a threat, but as an essential skill for the future. According to a new report from Grammarly and Talker Research, 62 percent of students believe that responsible AI use is critical to their career success — a sign that AI literacy is fast becoming a core pillar of higher education.
The survey, conducted between July 1–9 and based on responses from 2,000 college students, also revealed that nearly three-quarters of students say their schools have already implemented AI usage policies. This reflects how both institutions and students are rapidly adjusting to the realities of a tech-driven academic landscape.
In practice, AI use is already mainstream. A striking 87 percent of students report using AI tools for academic purposes, averaging about five hours of use each week. Even more — 90 percent — use AI in their daily lives beyond the classroom. From ChatGPT to Grok and Gemini, the widespread availability of free or low-cost tools has fueled experimentation.
“Most products like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini have a free offering and low barriers to use, encouraging exploration,” said Darren Kimura, CEO of AI Squared, in an interview with Newsweek. “Additionally, the capability that AI can produce today — like coding tasks, writing, or collaboration — aligns closely with the work of mid-wage technical and creative professionals, increasing its use in the workplace.”
Still, the rapid adoption of AI hasn’t come without challenges. More than half of students (55 percent) said they feel unequipped with proper guidance on how to use AI responsibly. Nearly half (46 percent) expressed concerns about potential repercussions, and 10 percent have already faced issues related to AI use in academic settings.
When it comes to practical use, students rely on AI for a variety of academic tasks:
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49 percent use it to brainstorm ideas
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42 percent use it for grammar and spelling checks
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41 percent turn to AI to understand difficult concepts
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29 percent use it for questions they might be embarrassed to ask in person
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25 percent even use AI for life advice
Institutional responses to this surge in AI use vary widely. Among schools that have established policies:
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30 percent allow AI for specific assignments
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31 percent permit general use with proper citation
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32 percent have banned AI outright
Interestingly, while 69 percent of students say professors have discussed these policies, only 11 percent say they’ve actually been encouraged to use AI in their studies.
The data highlights a clear tension between AI’s growing role in education and the lack of consistent, supportive frameworks around its use. As students continue to experiment and institutions race to catch up, one thing is clear: AI is no longer a future consideration — it’s a present reality in the academic world.
A different 2024 Global AI Student Survey by the Digital Education Council found that 86 percent of international university students use AI in their studies, with ChatGPT, Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot listed among the most frequently used tools.
However, workforce experts caution against AI misuse for the next generation of workers.
“AI can be a powerful tool, a supplement to the existing workforce. But only if it’s paired with human judgment, ethics and a worker-focused lens,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek. “The real skill isn’t just AI anywhere and everywhere. It’s knowing when AI isn’t the right fit.”
What People Are Saying
Darren Kimura, CEO of AI Squared, told Newsweek: “AI today is really about task augmentation but not full automation, meaning that it increases the productivity of humans without yet removing them from the equation.”
HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: “AI is changing lots of things and helping put some things in perspective. It’s also changing the workplace faster than colleges can keep up. But the danger is treating AI like a magic bullet. If we keep funneling students into tech skills without teaching them how to think critically, collaborate and advocate for themselves in a workforce increasingly run by algorithms, we’re setting them up to be overworked, replaceable and underpaid.”
What Happens Next
As AI continues to proliferate across campuses, academic institutions face pressure to formalize guidance, enhance faculty and student training, and update curricula to reflect the technology’s evolving role.
“There will likely be a major workforce reskilling as AI will replace entry level jobs. I predict a boon for community colleges and universities as workers look to reskill,” Kimura said. “Managers must learn how to manage AI workers as they once used to have to manage human workers.”
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