Study: Nearly a third of college students use AI daily

Nearly a third of college students now use artificial intelligence daily, according to a new study from American University's Kogod School of Business, which tracked AI adoption over three years. The study found over 80 percent of students used AI tools for academic work in the past six months, with brainstorming as the top use case. Employer interest in AI skills jumped sharply, from 11.6 percent in 2024 to 42.6 percent in 2026. Weekly usage of 11 or more times rose from 6 percent to 29 percent over the study period, while only 4.3 percent reported zero weekly use in 2026. Despite increased adoption, students expressed concerns about responsible AI use and requested more advanced, practical training.