AI’s growing role in academic settings has generated a worthwhile discussion across campuses. A recent report revealed that 92% of university students in the U.K. utilize AI tools such as ChatGPT in various capacities. This worrying trend is just one example of the many ways AI has started to change the world of student writing. As an example, nearly half of users who’ve indicated they use ChatGPT more than 25 percent of the time for educational purposes.
At Kennesaw State University, over half of incoming first-year students—even in August 2023—thought that AI was going to decide writing’s future. This new belief illustrates the increasing power technology wields over incoming freshmen. This same enthusiasm reverberates across campuses as students are finding creative new ways to integrate AI into their academic workflows. Students come to ChatGPT for all kinds of writing-related needs. This trend indicates a complicated shift in how they’re learning.
The Top Uses of ChatGPT Among Students
Students have found a lot of useful ways that ChatGPT can help support them in their academic endeavors. The largest share (49%) is beginning papers and projects. This allows students to overcome the intimidating blank-page syndrome. Following closely, 48% of users rely on ChatGPT to summarize lengthy texts, a function that enables them to distill complex information into digestible summaries.
Generating ideas for creative projects comes in as the third most common application of the tool. An astounding 45% of students use it to brainstorm new ideas and concepts. This is especially challenging in disciplines that require creativity and innovation. Completely new topics ranks third among the top five uses at 44%. Even revising writing ranks as the same third-highest activity at 44%, indicating a deep integration of AI into the entire writing process.
Together, these applications exemplify innovative and impactful ways that AI technology is enriching education. It’s more than just a tool to help HER do homework, it’s an essential piece of the whole learning experience.
Maintaining Authenticity and Encouraging Critical Thinking
At NYU, students are already talking about the lack of authenticity when using AI to complete assignments. They add, ChatGPT allows them to continue sounding like themselves while enjoying its assistance. In fact, 75% reported feeling like their true voice was preserved while writing. This figure busts the myth that AI is killing human creativity.
What’s more, a whopping 89% of students reported that ChatGPT has improved their critical thinking about their writing. This potential indicates that instead of depersonalizing and reducing engagement, AI has the ability to empower more thoughtful exploration and critical comparison. D. Graham Burnett aptly noted, “It’s not that they’re dishonest. It’s that they’re paralyzed.” This view reveals why students hesitate when faced with a writing assignment. It illustrates the ways AI can alleviate that burden and help restore their confidence.
The Future of Writing in Education
Using AI in academic settings raises important questions about the future of writing. Perhaps most importantly, it calls on the whole education establishment to change and innovate. As students turn to ChatGPT and similar tools for help more and more, educators need to adapt to this new reality. OpenAI’s report from the year 2025 indicates that college-aged users are widely lexically churning on such educational topics. This increasing trend propels the narrative that AI is taking over, and it’s an integral aspect of the academic experience.
The debate rages on, as it has for several years now, over whether such innovations mean the humanities are doomed. As institutions continue to work through these changes, they are caught between wanting to embrace the clear benefits AI can bring and upholding long-standing pedagogical values. The key is to create an atmosphere where students can harness AI in a positive way without putting their academic integrity at risk.