📊40+ Statistics of Students Using AI: How, Why, When

1. 🧠 Artificial Intelligence in Education: Classroom AI
2. ✍️ How Are Students Using AI in 2025?
3. 📅 When Do Students Use AI?
4. 🎯 Why Do Students Use AI? Time, Confidence & Curiosity
5. 🚨 Are Students Using AI to Cheat?
6. 🧑‍🏫 Teachers’ Attitudes and Institutional Readiness
7. 🌐 Generative AI in Education
8. 🚀 The Future of AI in Education: Policies, Skills & Growth
9. ✅ AI Is Here, Let’s Teach Students to Use It Well

Artificial intelligence is no longer a niche tool, it’s now central to how students learn, write, revise, and even take exams. With the rapid adoption of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, the way students engage with content has changed dramatically over the past year.

This article explores the latest statistics of students using AI, revealing how many students use AI, what for, and where concerns around plagiarism, confidence, and school policy gaps are growing.

Based on our newly launched GoStudent Future of Education Report 2025, which surveyed 5,859 students (aged 10–16), their parents, and 300 teachers across Europe, along with the latest UK education data, here’s what educators and families need to know.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• 35% of UK students aged 10–16 use AI in school learning contexts, the highest among six European countries surveyed.
• 74% of UK teachers have received no formal AI training, despite 56% wanting it and 62% of students wishing teachers understood AI better.
• AI tools are widely used for writing support (35%), language learning (29%), maths (23%), and research (13%).
• Half of UK students believe AI and smart robots will be standard in classrooms by 2030, while 48% of parents support AI-powered virtual tutors.
• Ethical concerns remain: 21% of UK students admit using AI to pass exams, and 16% admit to AI-written essays. Over 60% of parents support updating assessment methods.
• Most teachers (70%) agree AI will be central to future careers and work best alongside human teaching; yet, only 30% of students currently have access to AI-powered tools at school.
• Parents and teachers largely support AI to personalise learning and reduce teacher workload, but less than a third believe AI skills like ethics and bias are currently taught.
• There is a clear gap between AI adoption by students and institutional readiness, highlighting the urgent need for AI training, clear policies, and responsible integration in education.

🧠 Artificial Intelligence in Education: Classroom AI

The GoStudent report offers valuable insight into how many students use AI in formal learning.

AI is no longer a fringe tool, it's embedded in everyday learning for many students. In the UK, 35% of students aged 10–16 report using AI in a school learning context, the highest across the six countries surveyed.

Yet, access to training and tools is limited. 74% of UK teachers say they’ve received no training in how to use AI in the classroom. Three-quarters of teachers in Europe are not receiving any training whatsoever in AI, despite the fact 56% of teachers demand it.

Looking ahead, 50% of UK students believe AI and smart robots will be standard in classrooms by 2030. Meanwhile, 68% of UK parents say digital tools like AI help children learn more efficiently, and 48% support using AI-powered virtual tutors.

Despite this support, only 30% of UK students currently have access to AI-powered tools at school, compared to 44% in Italy.

✍️ How Are Students Using AI in 2025?

From writing support to maths tools, students are now applying AI to all areas of learning, often combining tools for better results. The use of AI tools in education is transforming how students and educators approach learning and teaching.

• 35% use generative AI like ChatGPT
• 29% use writing assistants for grammar and sentence structure
• 23% rely on maths tools for problem-solving
• 29% use AI-powered language learning tools
• 13% use note-taking assistants
• 19% use voice assistants
• 13% use AI to help with research

📅 When Do Students Use AI?

Timing matters. The data shows that how students are using AI often depends on school pressure points like revision, deadlines, and final exams.

Across Europe, 85% of students say they’ve used AI for learning. In the UK, that’s 35% using it specifically within school contexts, above the European average of 26%.

Usage is largely self-driven:

• 24% self-teach via trial and error
• 25% learn via social media
• 29% learn from parents
• Only 31% learn from teachers

50% of teachers in the UK say students will need access to generative AI tools like ChatGPT within two years.

🎯 Why Do Students Use AI? Time, Confidence & Curiosity

Beyond convenience, students use AI to save time, boost writing confidence, and access on-demand support when teachers or parents aren’t available. The rapid adoption of these technologies presents an opportunity for institutions to support students in developing necessary skills, ultimately transforming the learning experience and preparing students for the future workforce.

• 62% of students wish their teachers understood AI better
• 68% of parents believe schools should take responsibility for teaching AI use
• 54% of parents worry about over-reliance on AI
• Student confidence in thriving in a tech-heavy world dropped from 77% to 61% in a year
• Importantly, 70% of UK teachers believe AI will be central to students’ future careers, and 59% of teachers say it works best when combined with human teaching.

Encouraging a better understanding of AI can help educators and students see it not merely as a tool for cheating, but as an aid for deepening comprehension of complex topics. Reframing discussions around AI usage can foster a supportive learning environment where students can improve their understanding of concepts with appropriate guidance.

🚨 Are Students Using AI to Cheat?

As AI tools become more embedded in academic life, a growing number of students are crossing ethical lines, and both parents and teachers are taking notice. These students cheating with AI statistics highlight one of the biggest challenges facing schools in 2025.

• 21% of UK students say they’ve used AI to help pass exams and tests
• 28% use AI to improve coursework, not necessarily to cheat, but to enhance
• 35% of teachers believe students use AI dishonestly
• 30% say essays no longer measure the right skills
• Over 60% of parents support updating how students are assessed
  

📝 AI & Essays: Crossing the Line?

One of the most searched questions this year is: are students using AI to write essays?
The GoStudent Future of Education Report confirms the answer is yes, to varying degrees.

• 16% of UK students admit to using AI to write entire essays, rising to %22 in Austria.

These AI in education statistics show a nuanced picture: many are exploring AI responsibly, but a significant minority are crossing lines that schools haven’t clearly defined yet.

The blurred boundary between support and substitution is exactly why schools need clear policies, better teacher training, and student guidance.

🧑‍🏫 Teachers’ Attitudes and Institutional Readiness

Teachers see the potential in AI, but lack the tools to manage it confidently.

• 66% of teachers believe schools should lead in teaching AI safety
• 35% of teachers believe children need access to Generative AI
• 29% of teachers think children need access to writing assistants and AI language learning tools
• %23 of teachers believe children need access to AI maths tools
• 41% are already using AI for lesson planning or marking
• 59% of teachers and 51% of parents prefer human–AI hybrid teaching models

Despite demand, only a small percentage of schools offer structured AI training programmes.

🌐 Generative AI in Education

Generative AI, which can create new content like text, images, and videos, is making significant inroads in education. This technology can be used to develop personalised learning materials, offer detailed feedback, and support teachers in their instructional duties.

Many educators are excited about the potential of generative AI to explain complex concepts and create interactive learning experiences. However, there are valid concerns about its misuse, such as cheating or plagiarism. To mitigate these risks, educators are actively seeking to develop effective policies and guidelines for the responsible use of generative AI in education.

🚀 The Future of AI in Education: Policies, Skills & Growth

AI will soon be a baseline — not a bonus — in learning.

• 44% of UK teachers believe personalised learning should be AI-driven
• 47% of parents agree AI can tailor education to their child’s needs
• Among parents of SEN students, 44% see AI as a promising tool
• 46% of parents hope AI reduces teacher admin workload
• Only 25% of parents say children will need AI skills like AI ethics and bias
• 70% of UK teachers believe AI will be core to future careers
• Still, only 30% of UK students have access to AI-powered tools

✅ AI Is Here, Let’s Teach Students to Use It Well

AI isn’t a distant future, it’s already here. 85% of students are using it, and 35% of UK students use it in schools. Yet 74% of UK teachers have had no formal training.

As 62% of students express a desire for teachers to better understand AI, and 68% of parents look to schools for leadership, it’s clear that the gap between usage and support needs to close.

With 59% of teachers saying AI works best when paired with human instruction, the path forward is clear: embed AI in education, responsibly, equitably, and ethically.