AI Study Tools Statistics You Need to Know in 2026

95%

of UK undergraduates surveyed used AI in at least one way, up from 92% in 2025 and 66% in 2024.

94%

of UK undergraduates surveyed used generative AI to help with assessed work, compared with 89% in 2025.

57%

of surveyed U.S. associate- and bachelor’s-degree students used AI tools daily or weekly.

86%

of surveyed U.S. children ages 9–17 had used or interacted with some form of AI; 52% did so weekly and 24% daily.

64%

of surveyed U.S. teens ages 13–17 reported using AI chatbots.

62%

of students in a global QS survey said they used generative AI at least weekly.

33.5%

of analyzed higher-education Claude conversations involved technical explanations or assignment solutions.

11%

of analyzed higher-education Claude conversations involved data analysis or visualization.

6.5%

of analyzed higher-education Claude conversations involved research design or tool development.

86%

of U.S. college students who used AI at least monthly rated understanding complex material as an extremely or very important reason for using it.

76%

of those monthly AI users rated saving time as an extremely or very important reason.

70%

of those monthly AI users rated getting better grades as an extremely or very important reason.

35%

of surveyed U.S. children ages 9–17 correctly recognized that AI cannot reliably distinguish true information from false information.

51%

of surveyed U.S. children said their school had taught them how to judge whether AI information was accurate and trustworthy.

20%

of child and teen AI users said it would be hard to stop using AI for a month.

42%

of daily child and teen AI users said it would be hard to stop for a month.

16%

of child and teen AI homework users said it was difficult to start or complete schoolwork without AI.

34%

of U.S. teens who expected AI to have a negative effect on society mentioned overreliance or the loss of critical thinking or creativity.

36%

of surveyed UK undergraduates felt encouraged by their institution to use AI.

38%

of surveyed UK undergraduates said their institution provided AI tools.

58%

of respondents in the Digital Education Council’s global student survey said they lacked sufficient AI knowledge and skills.

48%

of respondents in that global student survey did not feel adequately prepared for an AI-enabled workplace.

72%

of respondents in that global student survey wanted universities to provide more AI-literacy courses.

86% vs 49%

of universities and colleges respectively had student AI guidance in Jisc’s 2025 UK sector review, although students still reported uncertainty about acceptable use.