AI in Education for Students and Researchers: 2025 Trends and Statistics
Mar 10, 2025 |
20 Mins ReadWith millions of scholarly content published every year, in addition to the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various fields in the past few years, including the educational sector, AI in education has had, and still, a major impact on simplifying research projects, accelerating discoveries, and optimising learning experiences. Giving students and researchers the chance to work efficiently and effectively more than ever. So, how much time do researchers spend on repetitive tasks that AI can simplify?
On the other side of the story, The global market for AI in education was estimated to be worth $2.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to more than double by 2025, according to the most recent data from AIPRM. However, how exactly are researchers using AI, and what are the challenges they face?
This means that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing every aspect of modern life, including education and research. It’s reshaping how students learn, how researchers solve problems, and how educators teach. According to our latest survey, 73.6% use AI in education, 51% use it for literature review and 46.3% of students and researchers are using AI in education for writing and editing, showing just how quickly these tools are being adopted.
AI in education helps by sorting through the tremendous amount of scientific information, analysing large datasets of structured or unstructured data, and spotting connections that might take months to find manually. It also takes care of time-consuming tasks like summarising studies and formatting citations, so researchers can focus on bigger questions. With so much information and so little time, AI isn’t just helpful, it’s becoming a necessity.
Zendy surveyed more than 1,500 students and researchers to understand how they use AI tools. The study shows how people incorporate AI into their academic work, the benefits they find most useful, and the challenges they face. The findings give a clearer picture of AI’s role in academic work and its impact on productivity.
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Demographics of AI Users in Research
Zendy’s study provides insights into who is using AI in education. Most respondents are young learners, early in their academic journey, which gives us a sense of tools and support they’re looking for.
- 60.1% of respondents are female, 36% are male while the rest prefer not to disclose.
- 67.6% are between 18-24 years old, reflecting early-career researchers and students.
- 45% are undergraduate students, 37.2% are high school students, exploring AI tools for learning and research
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Habits and AI in Education Adoption
Students and researchers are highly engaged in academic literature and are shifting toward AI-driven tools for efficiency. Zendy's survey reveals how dedicated students and researchers are to expanding their knowledge and staying current in their fields. Regularly engaging with academic literature is a key part of their studies and professional growth, reflecting the effort they invest in learning.
The survey also shows a clear preference for online databases, highlighting a growing reliance on digital tools for easy access to research materials. This shift points to a broader move toward more convenient and centralised platforms, supported by the use of responsible AI and other technologies in academic work. These findings underline the importance of user-friendly, well-resourced tools that meet the changing needs of today’s learners and professionals.
- 71.5% read research papers daily or several times a week, indicating high engagement
- 49.3% of respondents spend an average of 4.5 hours each day engaging with research papers
- 50% prefer online databases for accessing research articles, reflecting the growing digitisation of academic research.
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How is AI Being Used in Research?
The study highlights how AI in education is transforming scholarly content practices, with more researchers using it in their daily routines. One of the most common uses is for literature reviews, traditionally a time-consuming task that AI is helping to make faster and more manageable. The findings show a willingness to embrace AI and point to key areas where it can have an even greater impact, especially in literature reviews, writing, and editing.
- 73.6% have used or are exploring AI tools for research.
- 51% use AI for literature reviews.
- 46.3% for writing and editing, highlighting key areas for AI development
These findings indicate a widespread acceptance of AI in education and a growing demand for AI-powered tools.
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Accessibility and Device Preferences
With research becoming increasingly digital, the choice of devices used for academic work is evolving, most users still rely on desktops for research, and more researchers are turning to mobile devices. This shift highlights the need to focus on making mobile access smoother and more user-friendly, all while ensuring that the desktop experience remains just as reliable and effective.
- 57.9% prefer desktops valuing stability and a larger screen.
- 34.8% prefer mobile devices for reading research, emphasising convenience and portability.
- 7.3% prefer tablets.
This trend highlights the need for mobile-friendly AI-powered research platforms while maintaining robust desktop experiences.
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Impact of AI in Education
Finally, researchers were asked about their perception of AI’s effectiveness in academic work. Over half of the respondents shared they consider AI tools to be highly effective, particularly for simplifying complex tasks. Many highlighted how impactful these tools are in saving hours and making the research journey more efficient, showing just how valuable AI has become in the academic sector.
- 39.6% find it very effective
- 33.4% find it effective
- 21.8% are neutral
- 3.7% think it’s ineffective
- 1.5% think it’s very ineffective
The overwhelming majority see AI as a valuable tool, streamlining research and saving time.
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Ethical Concerns & AI Limitations
AI offers many benefits, but there are still some ethical issues to work through:
- Bias and Accuracy – AI in education can reflect biases in the data it’s trained on, which can lead to misleading results.
- Ethical Concerns – Researchers need to make sure AI-generated content meets academic integrity standards.
- Cost and Access – Some AI tools are expensive, making them harder to access for students and researchers with limited resources.
To address these AI ethical issues, educators, researchers, and technology providers need to work together to ensure AI is used responsibly in academia.
The Future of AI in Education
AI in education is evolving rapidly, and the trends from Zendy’s survey suggest where it’s headed next.
With 73.6% of respondents already using AI in education, its role will only expand. One of the biggest areas of growth is predictive analysis, where AI is expected to help researchers spot patterns in massive datasets—an extension of how AI is already streamlining literature reviews and data organisation today.
Collaboration is another key area. As AI in education tools become more sophisticated, they will help researchers across different disciplines and countries work together more efficiently, reducing language barriers and improving access to global knowledge.
As AI technology advances, its impact on academic research will deepen, offering both opportunities and challenges. The focus now is on ensuring these tools remain accessible, ethical, and aligned with researchers’ real needs.
Finally, AI in education is set to transform experimentation and simulations. Innovations in AI-driven modelling, combined with augmented and virtual reality, could make complex experiments more interactive, accurate, and scalable.
Conclusion
The survey offers a closer look at how AI is undeniably shaping the future of education, specially scientific research, helping students and researchers work more efficiently. From automating literature reviews to improving writing and editing, it’s clear that AI in education is becoming an indispensable part of academic workflows. However, challenges like affordability and accessibility remain key areas to address, ensuring that AI-powered research tools remain accessible and fair for everyone.
At Zendy, we are committed to developing AI-driven tools that cater to the real needs of students, researchers, and professionals.
Download the full report to learn about the methodology behind our findings, explore deeper insights into AI in education, and discover how it’s shaping the academic world.
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5 Tools Every Librarian Should Know in 2025
The role of librarians has always been about connecting people with knowledge. But in 2025, with so much information floating around online, the challenge isn’t access, it’s sorting through the noise and finding what really matters. This is where AI for libraries is starting to make a difference. Here are five that are worth keeping in your back pocket this year. 1. Zendy Zendy is a one-stop AI-powered research library that blends open access with subscription-based resources. Instead of juggling multiple platforms, librarians can point students and researchers to one place where they’ll find academic articles, reports, and AI tools to help with research discovery and literature review. With its growing use of AI for libraries, Zendy makes it easier to summarise research, highlight key ideas, and support literature reviews without adding to the librarian’s workload. 2. LibGuides Still one of the most practical tools for librarians, LibGuides makes it easy to create tailored resource guides for courses, programs, or specific assignments. Whether you’re curating resources for first-year students or putting together a subject guide for advanced research, it helps librarians stay organised while keeping information accessible to learners. 3. OpenRefine Cleaning up messy data is nobody’s favourite job, but it’s a reality when working with bibliographic records or digital archives. OpenRefine is like a spreadsheet, but with superpowers, it can quickly detect duplicates, fix formatting issues, and make large datasets more manageable. For librarians working in cataloguing or digital collections, it saves hours of tedious work. 4. PressReader Library patrons aren’t just looking for academic content; they often want newspapers, magazines, and general reading material too. PressReader gives libraries a simple way to provide access to thousands of publications from around the world. It’s especially valuable in public libraries or institutions with international communities. 5. OCLC WorldShare Managing collections and sharing resources across institutions is a constant task. OCLC WorldShare helps libraries handle cataloguing, interlibrary loans, and metadata management. It’s not flashy, but it makes collaboration between libraries smoother and ensures that resources don’t sit unused when another community could benefit from them. Final thought The tools above aren’t just about technology, they’re about making everyday library work more practical. Whether it’s curating resources with Zendy, cleaning data with OpenRefine, or sharing collections through WorldShare, these platforms help librarians do what they do best: guide people toward knowledge that matters. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Balancing AI Efficiency with Human Expertise in Libraries
AI in libraries is making some tasks quicker and less repetitive. However, even with these advances, there’s something irreplaceable about a librarian’s judgment and care. The real question isn’t whether AI will take over libraries, it’s how both AI and librarians can work side by side. How AI Helps in Libraries According to Clarivate Pulse of the Library 2025 survey, among 2,000 academic library professionals globally, many said they don’t have enough time or budget to learn new tools or skills, a challenge made even harder as global digital content is projected to double every two years. Here’s where AI tools for librarians prove useful: Cataloguing: AI can scan metadata and suggest subject tags in minutes. Search: Smarter search systems help students and researchers find relevant materials without digging through dozens of irrelevant results. Day-to-day tasks: Think overdue notices, compiling basic reading lists, or identifying key sources and trends to support literature reviews. This is where library automation with AI comes in handy. Instead of replacing people, these tools free up time. A librarian who doesn’t have to spend hours sorting through data can focus on supporting students, curating collections, analysing usage statistics to make informed decisions or tracking resource usage against budgets. Where Human Expertise Still Matters AI is fast, but it’s not thoughtful. A student asking, “I’m researching migration patterns in 19th-century Europe, where do I start?” gets much more from a librarian than from a search algorithm. Librarians bring context, empathy, and critical thinking that machines can’t replicate. This is why human-AI collaboration in libraries makes sense. AI takes care of the routine. Humans bring the nuance. Together, they cover ground neither could manage alone. Finding the Balance So how do libraries get this balance right? A few ideas: Think of AI as a helper – not a replacement for staff. Invest in training – librarians need to feel confident using AI tools and knowing when not to rely on them. Keep the focus on people – the goal isn’t efficiency for its own sake, it’s about better service for students, researchers, and communities. Final Thoughts By using AI to handle routine administrative tasks like cataloguing, managing records, or tracking resource usage, librarians free up time to focus on the part of the job that drew them to this profession in the first place: supporting researchers and students, curating meaningful collections, and fostering learning. Combining the efficiency of AI in libraries with the expertise of librarians creates a future where technology supports the human side of education. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
How AI in Higher Education Is Helping Libraries Support Research
Libraries have always been at the centre of knowledge in higher education. Beyond curating collections, librarians guide researchers and students through complex databases, teach research skills, and help faculty navigate publishing requirements. They also play a key role in managing institutional resources, preserving archives, and ensuring equitable access to information. These days, libraries are facing new challenges: huge amounts of digital content, tighter budgets, and more demand for remote access. In this environment, AI in higher education is starting to make a real difference. How AI Makes Life Easier for Librarians Improving Discovery AI-powered search tools don’t just look for keywords, they can understand the context of a query. That means students and researchers can find related work they might otherwise miss. It’s like having an extra set of eyes to point them toward useful sources. Helping with Curation AI can go through thousands of articles and highlight the ones most relevant to a specific course, project, or research topic. For example, a librarian preparing a reading list for a history class can save hours by letting AI suggest the most relevant papers or reports. Supporting Remote Access Students, researchers and faculty aren’t always on campus. AI can summarise long articles, translate content, or adjust resources for different reading levels. This makes it easier for people to get the information they need, even from home. Working Within Budgets Subscriptions remain a major expense for libraries, and ongoing budget cuts are forcing many academic institutions to make difficult choices about which resources to keep or cancel. For example, recent surveys show that around 73% of UK higher education libraries are making budget cuts this year, sometimes slashing up to 30% of their overall budgets, and collectively spending £51 million less than the previous year. This trend is not limited to the UK, universities in the U.S. and elsewhere are also reducing library funding, which has dropped by nearly 20% per student over recent years. Even top institutions like Princeton have cut library hours and student staffing to save on costs. Subscriptions can be expensive, and libraries often have to make tough choices. AI tools that work across large collections help libraries give students and researchers more access without adding extra subscriptions. Trusted Content Still Matters AI is helpful, but the resources behind it are just as important. Librarians care about trusted, peer-reviewed, and varied sources. Librarians and AI: A Partnership AI isn’t replacing librarians. Instead, it supports the work they already do. Librarians are the ones who guide researchers, check the quality of sources, and teach information skills. By using AI tools, librarians can make research easier for students, researchers and faculty, and they can help their institutions make the most of the resources they have. Final Thoughts AI in higher education is making it easier for libraries to support students and faculty, but librarians are still at the centre of the process. By using AI tools alongside strong content collections, libraries can save time, offer more resources, and help researchers find exactly what they need. With the right AI support, research becomes easier to navigate and more accessible without overcomplicating the process. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
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