AI adoption by higher education professionals on rise despite concerns

AI adoption by higher education professionals is on rise despite concerns around privacy and bias, a new survey has found.

AI adoption by higher education professionals is on rise despite concerns around privacy and bias, a new survey has found.

"AI adoption by higher education professionals for work and personal use has more than doubled over the past year", Ellucian, a leading higher education technology solutions provider, said in its report.

"In a survey of 445 faculty and administrators from more than 330 institutions across the United States and Canada, 93% expect to expand their AI use for work purposes over the next two years", Ellucian's latest report on AI adoption said.

"84% of respondents reported using AI in either their professional or personal lives – an increase of 32 percentage points over last year", the AI survey reports said.

"AI adoption for personal and professional use surged by 35 percentage points compared to last year with 61% using AI in both contexts", the report said.

Concerns around privacy and bias

While the use of AI is growing, the survey also shows increasing concerns.

"Our survey findings show that while adoption is increasing, leaders are rightfully weighing AI's benefits with careful consideration of privacy, bias, and long-term impact on student outcomes – including the potential impact on student mental health", Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian, said.

"At Ellucian, we aim to be the go-to technology partner for the higher education community in navigating the complexity of integrating AI into business processes and improving student outcomes", she added.

The percentage of respondents worried about bias in AI models rose from 36% in 2023 to 49% in 2024.

Similarly, data privacy and security concerns increased from 50% in 2023 to 59% in 2024. These findings reflect a complex mix of enthusiasm and caution across the industry.

"Despite growing adoption of AI, concerns about its ethical use remain. Respondents voiced unease around data security, privacy, and the potential for AI to undermine critical thinking and academic integrity", the survey report said.

About the motivation behind the surge in AI adoption, Ellucian AI Survey report said, "Efficiency and productivity gains are driving AI adoption, and increased confidence in predictive analytics indicate AI's pivotal role in enhancing student support and enrollment processes."

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