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STEM students use AI more, Virginia Tech study finds

A new study out of Virginia Tech found that STEM students use AI more than others, while students find using AI easier than faculty do.
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A new study on generative artificial intelligence found that adoption is growing in higher education but that there is an “AI divide” between those who use the technology and those who do not.

The research, published out of Virginia Tech, found that students in science, technology, engineering and math use AI more frequently than those in other fields. The study, which looked at the adoption of tools including OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, found that 70% of students reported using such tools fewer than once per week.

“This study provides empirical evidence about how Virginia Tech students and faculty use generative AI tools in their academic activities,” said Junghwan Kim, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and co-lead on the study. “Knowing this is crucial for creating informed policies at the university level to regulate and guide the use of AI in education. Without such data, policy decisions could lack a strong foundation.”

The study also found that students reported greater ease and pleasure with using the new wave of AI chatbots, when compared to faculty.

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