91% of students use AI to study, survey finds

Understanding how AI can best be used to support students is vital, as 91% of students are already using AI in their studies, according to a new international student survey from Docsity.

The survey collected information on study behaviour from 350 higher education students across the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Docsity is a collaborative study and note-sharing platform, with access to 20 million secondary and higher education students across more than 180 countries.

“AI should not be seen as a shortcut or, worse, a replacement for traditional studying and critical thinking. It is, pure and simple, a powerful ally. Students have found a personal assistant to optimise their time, even at a time when many students maintain a highly critical perspective toward AI technology,” says Paolo Muoio, Chief Operating Officer of Docsity.

“As for the 9% who don’t use it, they aren’t just risking lower grades; they risk missing out on the foundational digital literacy that today’s job market completely takes for granted.”

Results also indicate that most students are studying from home (79%) and this is where they feel most productive. Regarding time of day, 35% feel most productive between 5pm-9pm, behind early morning (22%) and late evening (18%).

A concentration crisis amongst students was also identified, with 41% of respondents naming difficulty concentrating as their single biggest challenge to studying.

“The massive proliferation of social media, constant notifications, micro-content, and continuous device usage has inevitably fractured students’ attention spans. The EdTech sector must acknowledge this behavioural shift and build tools that engage with this reality rather than ignoring it,” says Filippo Tonello, Head of Marketing at Docsity.

And video is highlighted as important to students: 39% claim video and online creators to be their most valuable learning source, higher than work experience (30%), conversations with friends and family (16%), and social media (7%).

This survey provides insight into the behaviour of the modern-day student, highlighting how developments in technology are being used to support them in their studies, as well as presenting new challenges.

Docsity was founded by Riccardo Ocleppo. During his university experience, he realised that finding the correct study notes was difficult or sometimes impossible. Therefore, he started Docsity; an online platform where students could share and view notes for free and interact with each other. Ocleppo has pursued higher education at Politecnico di Torino, INSEAD, and London Business School. As well as Docsity, he is also founder of OPIT – Open Institute of Technology, a fully-remote higher education institution.