AI Is a Good Thing for Online Education, Says Majority of Administrators

The perception of AI among college administrators is shifting positively after being previously banned from many public school classrooms as a cheating tool.^{Note Reference [1]}

According to our 2024 Online Education Trends Report, 73% of administrators say that AI is a beneficial innovation in online education. Only 6% disagree, and 21% are neutral.

School administrators additionally say that AI can help online education by improving communication between instructors and students (55% agree), personalizing the learning experience for students (60% agree), and offering cost-effective tools for instructors (56% agree).

Despite these positives, administrators still see AI as a challenge to data privacy and security. Nearly 60% agree that AI poses a threat to student and/or faculty data privacy and security.

Half of administrators say their institutions do not have formal AI use policies yet. However, two-thirds (66%) say that training is available for faculty members who do want to explore the use of AI in their online teaching.

AI is infiltrating more areas of higher education than the classroom alone. Many school websites now include AI-driven chatbots, for example, to help answer questions about applications and admissions.

In light of this growing trend, some students express skepticism about AI playing any part in admissions decisions. Only around 2 in 5 students say they would trust schools to use AI in support of admissions decisions (39%) and to sort applications (41%).

For more key insights about today’s online learners, see BestColleges’ full 2024 Online Education Trends Report.

BestColleges’ 10th annual Online Education Trends Report is part of a long-term initiative to track trends in online learning. The report represents our eighth year of original data collection through two online surveys. Participants included 1,001 online students and 184 college and university administrators.