Despite Skepticism, Widespread AI Use at Cal State

The California State University (CSU) system has seen widespread adoption of AI tools among its students, faculty, and staff despite some skepticism.
ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool, with over 80% of students, 87% of faculty, and 89% of staff ranking it as their most used tool.
The CSU system invested millions in a plan to grow the AI-ready workforce and has partnered with OpenAI to provide free access to their education-specific version of ChatGPT.
The majority of respondents in the CSU survey (95%) have used at least one of the listed 21 AI tools.
There is mixed sentiment among faculty on AI’s place in the classroom, with 22% discouraging its use, and 19% encouraging it.
Faculty are the most critical of AI’s impact on education, split almost evenly on whether it has had a positive or negative effect on their teaching.
The survey results suggest there is widespread pressure to use AI due to concerns about the future job market, with the majority believing it will be essential for most professions.