Nearly a third of college students use AI as part of daily life, study reveals

A new study has found that artificial intelligence is becoming a regular part of life for college students.

According to the study, done by American University's Kogod School of Business, more than 80 percent have reported using AI tools for academic work in the past six months.

The report, conducted over three years, found that across all three years, brainstorming was the number one use case for AI.

This means students were relying on these tools to generate ideas and thoughts.

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Undergraduate and graduate students also reported being asked by potential employers about their ability to use AI. That percentage increased sharply over the past three years, rising from 11.6% in 2024 to 42.6% in 2026.

When asked how many times a week students used AI for school, internship, or employment-related tasks, 6 percent of individuals reported 11+ weekly usage. That number increased to 29% in 2026.

Only 4.3% of the students surveyed said they use AI 0 times per week in 2026.

While they had increased usage over the years, the students continued to express concern about responsible AI use and found that individuals want more advanced and practical AI training.