92% students & education leaders mow use AI for schoolwork: Report

Microsoft has released the third edition of its annual AI in Education Report, revealing rapid growth in artificial intelligence adoption across schools and universities while highlighting the need for structured implementation, training, and responsible usage. Alongside the report, the company announced a range of new AI-powered teaching and learning tools that will be available at no additional cost ahead of ISTELive 2026. 

The report, based on responses from 3,345 participants across six countries, found that AI is becoming a regular part of education. About 92% of students and education leaders, and 88% of educators, have used AI for school-related purposes. More than half of education leaders reported that their institutions are already implementing or scaling AI, while a majority of students, educators, and leaders noted increased AI usage over the past year.

Despite widespread adoption, the report identified a significant AI skills gap. While most respondents agreed that AI literacy is important for students’ future success, 77% of students and 53% of educators said they had not received formal AI training. Many expressed a desire for regular, role-based AI training sessions.

Academic integrity also emerged as a key concern, with more than 40% of both students and educators citing it as a major challenge. The findings emphasise the necessity of clear classroom guidelines on responsible AI use. 

To support educators, Microsoft introduced several new capabilities within Microsoft 365 Education. These include AI-assisted unit planning tools, student AI usage guidelines, learning groups for differentiated instruction, and Learning Zone, a platform that enables live, educator-paced classroom experiences.

For students, Microsoft launched Copilot Notebooks and the Study and Learn Agent, designed to support independent learning, critical thinking, self-assessment, and concept mastery.

The company also expanded its Microsoft Elevate for Educators programme, offering AI literacy credentials and professional development resources to help educators integrate AI effectively and responsibly into teaching and learning.