Generative AI in Higher Education: Demographic Differences in Student Perceived Readiness, Benefits, and Challenges

Abstract

Abstract With the rapid evolution and widespread adoption of Generative AI (GenAI), there has been a recent surge in research on students’ perceptions and usage of these tools for learning. However, a critical need remains to understand how students from various demographic groups perceive and utilize GenAI for educational purposes. This research aims to fill this gap by evaluating students’ use of GenAI, comfort level, perception of readiness, benefits and challenges, and demographic differences in their perceptions. Through an online survey of 482 students across diverse institutions of higher education primarily within the United States, the findings indicate a significant majority of students feel comfortable using GenAI tools and recognize their potential to enhance productivity and academic success. However, students also reported concerns related to GenAI use, including concerns about academic integrity, overreliance on AI, and data privacy and security. The analysis highlights differences in the subscales of perceived readiness (GenAI Comprehension; GenAI Utilization and Proficiency), benefits (Impact of GenAI; GenAI Empowerment), and challenges (Negative Impact of GenAI; GenAI Limitation) across demographic groups, including student classification, enrollment status, and institution types. Findings suggest a critical need for the integration of AI literacy into curricula to address opportunities and challenges posed by GenAI in higher education, and this study calls for additional research to explore evolving perceptions of GenAI use over time and its long-term impact on higher education.

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