Survey suggests strong demand among Indian undergraduates for integration of AI tools training in course curricula

According to the Global Student Survey 2023, encompassing students from 15 countries, a significant majority of Indian undergraduates express a desire for their course curriculum to integrate training in artificial intelligence (AI) tools relevant to their future careers.

The survey reveals that 83 percent of Indian students, ranking second only to Kenya at 84 percent, wish to incorporate AI into their learning. Additionally, 46 percent of these Indian students believe that their degrees would be more valuable in an AI-assisted workplace, ranking third globally after Kenya (53 percent) and Saudi Arabia (48 percent).

Furthermore, the survey highlights that 44 percent of Indian undergraduates have utilised Generative AI (GenAI), or AI capable of generating text, images, or other media, for their university studies. This surpasses the global average of 40 percent.

While Indian students view GenAI as a beneficial learning support tool, there is room for improvement. About 49 percent of students call for the involvement of human expertise in generating answers, and 28 percent of those who have tried it express concerns about receiving incorrect or inaccurate information.

Heather Hatlo Porter, Head of Chegg.org and Chief Communications Officer of edtech firm Chegg, notes that although students are adopting GenAI to support their learning, there is a clear acknowledgment of the need for improvement. Students express a desire for GenAI tools that offer accurate and reliable study support, with a significant emphasis on the involvement of human expertise, according to the survey.

The findings, published by Chegg.org, the non-profit arm of Chegg, are based on opinion polling by Yonder Consulting of over 11,000 undergraduate students aged 18-21 years across 15 countries, including 1,016 students in India. Chegg.org describes this survey as the most comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of the lives, hopes, and concerns of undergraduate students worldwide as they navigate the age of AI. The survey covers students’ perspectives on learning in the AI era, skills and careers, as well as their health, well-being, and social attitudes.