College students are using artificial intelligence–powered tools more than ever, but many prefer getting guidance on how to use them from informal sources—such as YouTube tutorials, according to a report Jobs for the Future published Thursday.
The nonprofit partnered with the market research firm AudienceNet late last year to survey 3,020 people aged 16 and older about how workers and learners perceive, use and experience the impacts of AI at work, in education and in career navigation. According to the survey, 70 percent of learners said they use AI on a daily or weekly basis for their education, compared to 59 percent in 2024; 69 percent said that AI tools are incorporated into their lessons or training, up from 57 percent in 2024.
The most common education-related use for the technology in 2025 was completing assignments more efficiently (44 percent), followed by enhancing learning and understanding (38 percent), exploring additional learning resources (36 percent), and gaining access to AI-driven tutoring or assistance (35 percent). In 2024, enhancing learning and understanding was the most common use, cited by 45 percent of respondents.
Many colleges are responding to the uptick in use by providing more formal, helpful guidance, according to the survey. In 2024, 69 percent of learners said they received AI training from their educational or training institution, compared to 47 percent in 2024. And 35 percent of those learners said those trainings were highly effective, compared to 15 percent in 2024.
But student experiences with AI use training vary widely depending on where they’re enrolled. According to the survey, 31 percent of learners said their institution fully permits the use of AI, 11 percent said their institution bans AI use entirely and 13 percent said they do not know their institution’s AI policy.
Despite increased institutional training offerings, more students prefer using informal channels to find out information about using AI. According to the survey, 48 percent of learners used social media, 38 percent used news articles and 30 percent asked friends and family for help. Meanwhile, 23 percent sought information from a school or training program, workforce board or career center, and 8 percent did so at conferences.
Learners who want to get more familiar with AI tools also reported taking a self-directed approach: 46 percent said they experimented on their own, 44 percent used YouTube or informal courses, 43 percent enrolled in a paid college or university course, and 31 percent took a free local course.
“Learners are not sitting on the sidelines of the AI transition. They are actively experimenting, adapting, and integrating these tools into their educational experiences,” Ben Pring, vice president of JFF’s Center for Artificial Intelligence & the Future of Work, said in a new release. “But increased use does not automatically translate into increased efficacy. If schools, higher education institutions, and training providers want to realize AI’s potential to enhance learning and expand economic opportunity, they must build trust, provide clear guidance, and ensure that AI augments relationships and classroom experience for both learners and educators.”
