LONDON: Nearly all undergraduate students say they use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help with their assessed work, a survey in the UK has found.
The proportion of students reporting they are including directly AI-generated text in their work has also been slowly increasing, the survey by the UK's Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) found.
Despite the near universal use of AI, undergraduates are still divided on its impact. Some said it allows them more time for critical thinking while others said it stopped them having to use their brain.
Many students do not feel they have enough support to develop the skills to use AI effectively, said Charlotte Armstrong, co-author of the report and policy manager at Hepi.
"If universities want graduates to feel prepared for the future, then AI literacy and capability must be embedded across the curriculum. These skills cannot be treated as optional,” she added.
The survey of 1,054 full-time undergraduates in the UK found 94% reported using AI in at least one way, and 95% used generative AI to help with assessed work.
Students reporting they included AI-generated text in assessed work rose to 12% this year, up from 8% in 2025 and 3% in 2024.
Nearly two in three (65%) of students said AI has changed university assessment significantly. However, two in five (42%) still said they would be putting off using it out of fear of being accused of cheating.
Almost one in two (49%) said AI has improved their student experience while one in six (16%) felt it had made their student experience worse.
Those who disliked AI cited reasons like "it is making us all lazy”, "I’m not using my brain at all”, and "it encourages you to think less”.
Around 15% said they were using it to get advice, companionship or address loneliness.
There was a fairly even split in the proportion of students agreeing their university encourages AI use (37%) versus disagreeing (36%). Students from Russell Group institutions were most likely to agree their university encouraged the use of AI.
Hepi recommended universities should provide induction support on using AI for all students, offer training for staff, publish clear guidance on its use, make sure tools that give students an advantage are equally accessible, and consider adapting their curriculum to explicitly teach AI skills.
A survey last month by Coursera of university professors and lecturers found only one in four said they felt confident they could spot AI-generated work. – dpa
