Between December 2024 and February 2025, over 20% of Middlebury College's student body (634 students) responded to a survey about generative AI use. The survey found adoption exceeding 80% for coursework, a rapid uptake compared with 40% adoption among U.S. adults after ChatGPT's launch. Students most often used AI to explain concepts and summarize readings, describing tools as an on-demand tutor useful outside office hours. Uses were categorized as augmentation (enhancing learning) or automation (producing work); 61% used AI for augmentation while 42% used it for automation. Findings challenge panic-driven narratives and recommend policy focused on use rather than bans.
Over 80% of Middlebury College students use generative AI for coursework, according to a recent survey I conducted with my colleague and fellow economist Zara Contractor. This is one of the fastest technology adoption rates on record, far outpacing the 40% adoption rate among U.S. adults, and it happened in less than two years after ChatGPT's public launch. Although we surveyed only one college, our results align with similar studies, providing an emerging picture of the technology's use in higher education.
Contrary to alarming headlines suggesting that "ChatGPT Has Unraveled the Entire Academic Project" and "AI Cheating Is Getting Worse," we discovered that students primarily use AI to enhance their learning rather than to avoid work. When we asked students about 10 different academic uses of AI—from explaining concepts and summarizing readings to proofreading, creating programming code, and, yes, even writing essays—explaining concepts topped the list. Students frequently described AI as an "on-demand tutor," a resource that was particularly valuable when office hours weren't available or when they needed immediate help late at night.
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