AI's Impact on Education in 2025
AI is everywhere; it’s embedded in how students learn, how faculty teach and what it means to be prepared for the future. While AI in education opens up exciting new possibilities, it also brings challenges that educators and students are still learning to navigate.
Whether you're a student navigating new tools, a faculty member rethinking your teaching approach or an employer watching the next generation of talent emerge, AI is already reshaping the education experience. While conversations about AI often swing between extremes—either as a revolutionary fix or a looming threat—the reality is more nuanced.
The data tells a clearer story: AI is already making a measurable impact in classrooms. Here are four research-backed ways it’s transforming how students learn, how educators teach and how we prepare for the future.
1. Students Are Eager to Embrace AI
Today’s students were quick to embrace AI tools; many started using them within weeks of their release. In fact, by January 2023, just two months after ChatGPT launched, nearly 90% of college students surveyed were already using it for homework help. Now, those same freshmen are entering their senior year and many feel that their institutions haven’t kept pace. According to Cengage Group’s 2025 AI in Education report, 65% of higher ed students believe they know more about AI than their instructors, and 45% wish their professors used and taught AI skills in relevant courses.
While many students initially turned to AI as a shortcut for cheating, they quickly began to see its potential as a powerful learning tool. The Teen and Young Adult Perspectives on Generative AI report highlights this shift uncovering that the most common uses of GenAI are now for gathering information (53%) and brainstorming ideas (51%). As one student noted, “Not all kids use it [GenAI] to cheat in school.” Increasingly, students are asking to be trusted with AI for personalized learning, homework support and creative projects, demonstrating a growing awareness of how the technology can enhance, rather than undermine, their education.
This gap between student expectations and classroom reality is creating frustration. Students want to learn how to use AI responsibly and effectively, but they need support from faculty and institutions to make that happen.
The pressure to keep up with this rapid evolution, unclear classroom policies and concerns about being wrongly accused of AI misuse are contributing to what some describe as a “police state of writing.” Even students who don’t use AI tools say they feel the weight of constant suspicion and spend extra time editing their writing to sound ‘more human.’ Jenny Maxwell, Grammarly’s Head of Education, shared that more than 500,000 people—mostly students—use Grammarly’s AI and plagiarism detection tool each week. This environment is fueling stress and burnout at a time when students need support and clarity more than ever.
2. Faculty Are Cautious, But Curious
While students are eager to embrace AI, many instructors remain hesitant and overwhelmed. Our second annual Cengage State and Future of GenAI in Education Report found that academic integrity is the top concern for 82% of higher ed instructors, followed by worries about bias, accuracy and a lack of training and support.
Despite these concerns, nearly half of higher education instructors (45%) report positive perceptions of generative AI and are beginning to recognize its potential to enhance learning. As Nhaim Khoury, EVP and General Manager of Cengage Academic, explains:
“While the vast majority of higher education instructors are now familiar with GenAI and its capabilities, just under half are actively using it. Faculty want GenAI to help them personalize the learning experience and ultimately save time.”
3. AI Is Personalizing Learning Like Never Before
AI’s greatest potential lies in personalization, tailoring learning to each student’s needs. At Cengage, this means using GenAI not to replace instructors, but to amplify their ability to engage, support, and adapt. As Darren Person, Cengage Group Chief Digital Officer, shared:
“We see AI not as a replacement for educators, but as a tool to amplify the human side of teaching and learning. By strategically using technologies like GenAI, we can personalize education in meaningful ways—strengthening the connection between educators and learners and improving outcomes for all.”
Our AI in Education Report confirms that GenAI isn’t going anywhere. Nearly all administrators and teachers believe GenAI will play an increasingly important role in education. 81% of administrators and 66% of teachers see its potential to boost student engagement and a majority believe GenAI will help bridge the gap between traditional and online learning.
When used thoughtfully, AI can help educators move away from one-size-fits-all instruction and toward more adaptive, student-centered learning experiences. That’s been our focus at Cengage Group, we’ve taken a purposeful approach to AI product development—like our GenAI-powered Student Assistant—designed to solve real problems and enhance learning. “AI will continue revolutionizing learning and Cengage Group is at the forefront of harnessing this technology to thoughtfully personalize the learning experience.” - Michael Hansen, Cengage Group Chief Executive Officer.
4. Graduates Are Left Feeling Unprepared
Despite AI’s growing presence, many graduates feel ill-equipped to navigate this new landscape. According to Cengage Group’s 2024 Employability Report, 55% of recent graduates said their academic programs didn’t prepare them to use generative AI tools. Nearly three in four reported needing more training to work with new technologies in their current roles.
This disconnect between education and employment readiness is creating anxiety and uncertainty. Students are ready to learn AI, but they can’t do it alone. Institutions must embed practical AI fluency into their core curricula to truly prepare graduates for an AI-powered workplace. As AI becomes a core competency across industries, educational programs must evolve to integrate hands-on, practical AI training.
The payoff is clear. According to Hult International Business School, 94% of graduates who received some form of AI training in college say it has benefited them, leading to greater job stability (47%), more respect at work (42%), faster promotions (34%) and higher starting salaries (34%).
Looking Ahead: From the Classroom to the Workplace
AI is already transforming the classroom, and these changes are just the beginning. The same questions we’re asking in education about skills, readiness and equity are also shaping how we think about the future of work.
Return to the Perspectives section of our website next month for Part Two of this series, where we’ll explore how AI is impacting the workforce, what it means for Gen Z and how employers can prepare for the future of opportunity.