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As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and platforms proliferate, students are increasingly applying them to school tasks. ÀÖÓ㣨Leyu£©ÌåÓý¹ÙÍø’s Generative AI and the future of education report indicates that six out of 10 higher education students (59 per cent) already use this technology â€� up from 53 per cent last year. As generative AI improves and continues to find its way into day-to-day and educational settings, adoption rates will only escalate.

Generative AI is impacting study habits and changing student and staff expectations, as it relates to the former’s learning behaviour. This warrants the need for higher education institutions to adopt early, build the right foundation around policies, framework and other regulations which lead to the responsible use of generative AI.

According to the insights from the Generative AI and the future of education report, higher education institutions that integrate generative AI into their educational frameworks can achieve the following benefits:

• Enhance student success by providing personalized learning experiences.
• Alleviate administrative burdens on staff, thereby increasing overall productivity.
• Fostering financial sustainability by strengthening institutional resilience.

59% of Canadian students now use generative AI for their schoolwork

43% of the respondents who a​re employed in educational institutions have indicated that they are redeploying time saved from use of generative AI towards more high-value tasks 

70% of the students are saying that they are turning to generative AI for help rather than their instructor

• 65 per cent feel they are cheating when using AI
• 75 per cent are aware their educational institution has tools in place that detect generative AI in schoolwork
• 67 per cent say using generative AI has impacted their knowledge retention and critical thinking skills.

Students will increasingly seek out learning experiences where AI is actively incorporated into the teaching environment, and in learning and career planning. For students to flourish, a positive learning mindset of AI is essential.

Educational institutions that embrace generative AI and incorporate responsible AI training and usage will be the most successful down the road.

The same is true in terms of talent within the educational institutions. These institutions are facing talent shortages and are regularly looking for ways to boost employee retention. With seven out of ten students (70 per cent) turning to generative AI the technology instead of their educators, there is opportunity for educational institutions to maximize faculty time for tasks outside of the classroom such as research.

According to the poll results, 43 per cent of higher education employees who have adopted generative AI have more time to focus on higher-value tasks, strategic planning and operations. This is clearly indicative of how generative AI can drive employee productivity and, in turn, cost efficiency.

To remain competitive, educational institutions are always looking for ways to enhance student and employee journeys while optimizing costs. Help from generative AI coupled with other data and analytics tools can help serve these objectives. Institutional decision-makers can gain deeper insights into student and department performance, promote student engagement, and personalize the learning and recruitment experience.

Technology enabled transformation is becoming an employee expectation and is an imperative for educational institutions in order to attract top talent.

It is abundantly clear that generative AI is a powerful learning accelerator, leading to it playing a vital role in higher education. To thrive in our technological future, students need to learn how to leverage it strategically and responsibly. The higher education institutions of tomorrow will also benefit by leveraging generative AI to streamline processes, reduce costs and engage talent more effectively.