New research reveals a sharp rise in AI use among university students in the UK, while educators report declining confidence around both broader AI governance in higher education, and their own ability to navigate AI in the classroom.

Coursera’s AI in Higher Education, released today, surveyed over 4,200 students and educators from universities in the UK, US, Mexico, India and Saudi Arabia, and found that UK students are now using AI to complete nearly half (48%) of their studies (versus 24% in 2024). This is a higher proportion than the global average of 44% and that of US students, who are using it for 38% of their study tasks.

This increase in usage is delivering clear academic benefits, with 4 in 5 (80%) UK students saying their grades have improved since they began to use AI, with 43% saying they have significantly improved. This marks a substantial jump from last year (2024), with just over half (52%) reporting improved grades (and 8% identifying substantial improvement).

AI adoption is also increasing among educators, with 68% now using AI often or always in their work. The proportion of UK educators who always use AI has risen from 21% in 2024 to 33%, slightly above the 30% global average.

Student confidence in AI continues to rise

A survey found that the majority of UK university students, 85%, believe AI is having a positive effect on higher education, up from 67% in 2024.

By contrast, sentiment among educators in the UK is moving in the opposite direction.

The proportion of educators who think AI is having a positive impact has fallen from 85% to 69%. In 2024, just over a fifth (21%) of educators did not think AI was having, or could have, a negative impact on higher education, but by 2025 that figure had dropped sharply to just 3%.

Beyond this, fewer UK educators feel prepared to navigate the pedagogical and professional challenges presented by AI.

Only 27% believe they and their peers have the right skills to use AI to their advantage, down from 37% in the previous year. Similarly, confidence in detecting AI-generated content has fallen from 42% to 26%.

This uncertainty extends beyond the UK, with just 22% of educators in the US believing they can reliably identify AI-generated content.

UK universities make progress on AI readiness and governance

Despite confidence gaps, the research finds that UK educators feel less unprepared to navigate AI than those of any other country. Forty-six percent of UK educators and students believe their system is unprepared for AI, down from 55% last year, and lower than  the 56% global average (US: 50%).

This confidence is backed by stronger governance than other countries. While less than a third (30%) of UK universities have a formal AI policy, this is more than the 26% global average and just 20% of universities in the US.

Concerns around the effect of AI on academic credibility are also easing in the UK. Just over half (55%) believe unregulated AI could undermine degrees, the lowest level of concern among countries surveyed, and down sharply from 70% last year.

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Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera, said: “AI is now ubiquitous throughout higher education. Students are uniformly embracing the technology to support their learning, while educators are increasingly adopting it to drive productivity and a more personalised pedagogy.

“However, as AI models become more sophisticated and evolve at pace, many educators are finding it harder to keep up with the practical and professional implications — contributing to a decline in confidence around skills and AI detection.

While the UK is ahead of many global peers, with stronger perceptions of institutional readiness and clearer approaches to AI governance, continued progress will demand a focus on training and professional development to build faculty confidence and capability.

“Coursera remains committed to supporting learners and educators to use AI responsibly and effectively.  We will continue collaborating with our institutional partners to ensure that technological progress continues to serve equitable, world-class education.”