Just 1% of UK university student who’ve previously used AI tools say none of their work is AI-assisted, according to a new survey from Uswitch.

The survey of 500 UK university students in September highlights how quickly AI is becoming embedded in higher education.

The majority (99%) of UK university students who have used AI tools before say at least some of their academic work is AI-assisted. Over a third (35%) estimate that 21-40% of their work involves AI, while 36% say it accounts from 1% to 20%.

A further one in five students who have tried AI tools (18%) estimate that 41-60% of their work is AI-assisted, 7% estimate between 61-80%, while 3% say AI accounts for 81-100% of their work. Just 1% of UK university students who have previously used AI tools say none of their work is AI-assisted.

A quarter (25%) of UK university students who’ve used AI tools report using them every day to support their studies, while more than half (52%) use them weekly. A further 16% use AI monthly, while just 7% say they rarely rely on it.

What are students using AI for?

Nearly half (45%) of students surveyed said they use AI for research and summarising information, making this the most common application. Revision and exam preparation followed closely at 39%, while a third (33%) use AI for coding or programming tasks.

Students also rely on AI for writing essays or assignments (31%), preparing presentations or reports (29%), and even proofreading their work (19%).

A learning tool?

Three-quarters (75%) of students who’ve used AI tools say they’ve positively impacted their university work, with 30% claiming it has significantly enhanced it.

Almost half (45%) said it had somewhat improved their learning, while only a small minority felt it had hindered their work – 4% somewhat and 1% significantly. One in five students (20%) said AI had no noticeable impact on their work.

Trust and security

Half of UK students who use AI tools say they trust them, but concerns about data security and accuracy remain widespread. Just 19% fully trust both the accuracy and security tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini, while 31% mostly trust them.

One in five (21%) students trust the accuracy of information provided by AI tools, but have doubts around its general security. On the flip side, 16% trust the platform’s security, but have concerns over the accuracy of information given.

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What subjects use AI the most?

The research also reveals some differences in AI use depending on academic discipline. Of those surveyed, those who study STEM or medical-related subjects reported the highest daily reliance on AI, at 27%. But Arts, Humanities and Education students followed closely behind with a daily reliance of 26%.

Of those surveyed, Business, Marketing and Social Science students reported the highest proportion of weekly users (55%, excluding daily users). While Arts, Humanities and Education students reported the highest monthly percentage (18%, excluding daily and weekly users.)

Postgraduate Education

Usage also differs by year group. Among students who use AI at least occasionally, undergraduates are the most frequent weekly users, with 54% using AI tools weekly compared to 48% of postgraduates.

When looking specifically at daily usage, postgraduate students lead the way, with 35% reporting daily use compared to 21% of undergraduates.