AI in Education Is Already Here. The Work Now Is Helping People Use It Well.
New Instructure research shows learners, educators and parents are navigating AI with a mix of use, concern and optimism.
Artificial intelligence is already part of education, and the focus is shifting from whether it will be used to how it can support meaningful learning.
Higher education students report widespread classroom use, educators are identifying where AI can add value and parents are weighing potential benefits against concerns about accuracy, independent thought and academic integrity. Across all surveyed audiences, the questions are becoming more practical: How should AI be used in classrooms? Where should the boundaries be? What does support look like for educators and learners? And how can schools strengthen trust, critical thinking and meaningful learning as the technology evolves?
For years, much of the conversation treated AI as something on the horizon. That moment has passed. Generative AI is already part of how many students learn, how educators work and how families think about school. And as AI continues to evolve from content generation to more agentic tools that can take action, make recommendations and support workflows, saying “AI is coming” no longer reflects the reality.
This moment makes ongoing research especially important. Education leaders are being asked to make decisions around new technology in real time, often before best practices are settled. Better evidence can help institutions move with more clarity, support educators more effectively and build learning experiences that help students use AI critically and responsibly.
New research from Instructure shows an education ecosystem already in transition. Among 1,125 respondents in the United States, including K-12 and higher education educators, higher education students and parents or guardians of K-12 students, AI use is widespread. But the guidance, training and confidence needed to support responsible use are still catching up.
This is the first look at a larger Instructure research effort into AI in education. More findings, deeper analysis and practical guidance are coming.
The conversation has moved beyond whether AI belongs in education,” said Melissa Loble, chief learning officer at Instructure. “Students, educators and families are already navigating it. The work now is helping institutions build the insight, support and guardrails to use AI in responsible, human-centered ways that strengthen learning.
AI use is already widespread
According to Instructure’s preliminary findings, 90% of higher education students use AI in class at least occasionally. Educators are using it too, though less frequently; 68% of K-12 educators and 61% of higher education educators report at least occasional use. Parents are also seeing AI show up in school, with 73% saying their child uses AI at least occasionally.
Those numbers point to a practical reality for schools and institutions. Approaches to AI will need to reflect how learners and educators are already using it. Students are already experimenting. Educators are already adapting. Families are already forming opinions about where AI helps and where it raises concern.
For education leaders, the opportunity lies in creating the conditions for thoughtful use. That starts with clear expectations, practical support and learning experiences that help students understand AI as a tool, not a shortcut.
AI use at least occasionally
of higher education students use AI in class
of parents or guardians say their child uses AI at least occasionally
of K-12 educators use AI at least occasionally
of higher education educators use AI at least occasionally
Trust, concern and the human work of learning
There is no simple divide between people who are “for” AI and those who are “against” it. Instead, students, educators and parents are holding two nuanced ideas at once: AI can be useful, and AI can be wrong.
Students reported the highest trust in AI across the survey’s trust measures, with parents falling between students and educators. Educators were more cautious, averaging just above the midpoint on positive trust items. Yet all surveyed audiences shared the concern that AI can sound confident even when wrong: 69% of parents, 65% of higher education educators and students and 60% of K-12 educators expressed this view.
Those concerns extend to the work of learning itself. Among educators, students and parents, the same three AI concerns rose to the top: overreliance on AI; loss of critical thinking and deep learning; and academic integrity and plagiarism. K-12 parents expressed especially high levels of concern, with 62% citing academic integrity and plagiarism, 61% citing loss of critical thinking and deep learning, and 59% citing student overreliance.
The biggest questions about AI in education are really questions about critical thinking, trust and human judgment.
At their core, these concerns are about the quality of learning. Respondents want students to think critically, do meaningful work and understand when AI is helping versus when it may be getting in the way. The concern is not simply that AI exists in education. It is whether students are still building the skills, judgment and confidence that learning is meant to develop.
That demand for clarity is especially strong among parents and guardians, 70% of whom said research evidence on generative AI’s impact on teaching and learning is very or extremely important to them.
AI optimism is real, but it depends on the audience
Even with concerns, most respondents found at least one reason for optimism. In higher education, 94% of students and 82% of educators expressed optimism, compared with 88% of parents and 77% of K-12 educators.
The reasons for optimism vary. Parents were most likely to point to improved accessibility for students with diverse learning needs, with 51% citing it as a reason for optimism. Educators were most likely to cite time savings, with 44% (K-12) and 37% (higher ed) selecting this benefit. Students in higher education saw promise across several areas, including accessibility (41%), learning gains (33%), time savings (32%), personalized learning (30%) and AI-enhanced tutoring (29%).
These differences are useful for institutions because they show that AI in education is not one conversation. For families, it may be about support and access. For educators, it may be about workload and instructional time. For students, it may be about learning support, convenience and preparation for the future. A successful AI strategy cannot focus only on adoption. It has to consider what each audience needs to trust the technology, use it responsibly and see meaningful value.
Boundaries around AI’s role
One of the clearest findings in the research is that students, educators and parents draw a boundary around AI’s role. Across all surveyed audiences, AI is more accepted for support tasks, such as explaining concepts, brainstorming or finding resources. It is least accepted for final grades or academic decisions.
That consensus gives education leaders a practical starting point. Respondents are not saying AI has no place in education. They are saying its role should be carefully defined. AI can support learning, surface resources, personalize practice and reduce friction. But decisions that carry academic consequences still require human responsibility and context.
The same pattern shows up in what people expect from schools. Teaching responsible AI use and building critical AI literacy ranked first or second among respondents’ expectations for schools. Restricting or preventing student AI use was a minority position across all surveyed groups. In higher education, 39% of educators and 28% of students favored restricting use, compared with 33% of educators and 30% of parents in K-12.
People want clearer guidance on where AI can support learning, where it may create risk and when learners need to rely on their own judgment.
Supporting educators as AI use expands
The research also highlights an opportunity to expand educator preparation as AI use grows. Among educators who answered the training question, 41% of higher education educators reported no formal training, 35% reported some training and 11% reported comprehensive training. Among K-12 educators, 45% reported no training, 38% reported some training and 8% reported comprehensive training. Educator confidence with AI was low, with a mean score of 2.53 out of 5 in K-12 and 2.60 in higher education.
That matters because educators play a central role in translating new technology into meaningful learning experiences. Their work includes protecting academic integrity, supporting students, adapting instruction and making decisions about tools that are changing quickly.
The support educators requested was practical: hands-on training and tutorials, clear institutional guidance and policies, and ongoing professional development. Sustainable AI practices depend on shared systems, clear policies and professional learning that give educators practical support and help them move forward with confidence.
What education leaders can do next
The research makes one thing clear: people are not waiting to use AI. They are looking for practical guidance, clearer boundaries and support they can use now.
Institutions are being asked to make decisions in a still-changing landscape. The opportunity is to evaluate what AI should and should not do, adapt as use cases evolve and support educators and learners while preserving what matters most.
Teach AI literacy and responsible use.
Students, educators and parents want schools to help people use AI well, not simply restrict it.
Support educators with practical training.
As AI use grows, hands-on preparation and ongoing professional learning can help educators build confidence.
Set clear boundaries for AI’s role.
There is broad agreement that AI can support learning, but should not replace human judgment in grading or academic decisions.
Build evidence over time.
Audiences, especially parents and guardians, want trustworthy information about AI’s impact on teaching and learning.
The work ahead
Responsible AI use will require shared effort across the education community. Clear guidance, practical training and time can help educators determine where AI can strengthen learning, with support that respects the complexity of teaching and learning. Students can build the skills to use AI responsibly, while families benefit from trustworthy information about how it is being used in schools.
This is only the beginning of Instructure’s AI research. In the months ahead, Instructure will continue exploring what AI-enabled learning means in practice, where trust is strongest, which forms of support are most useful and how schools and institutions can support educators and learners as AI continues to evolve
Survey method
Survey method
Instructure fielded three parallel surveys via SurveyMonkey Audience between June 12 and 15, 2026. The sample totaled 1,125 participants in the United States:
- 410 current educators in K-12 and higher education (296 K-12 and 114 higher education).
- 312 current or recent higher education students who graduated after January 2023.
- 403 current parents and guardians of K-12 students.
Instructure researchers finalized and analyzed the data in June 2026. Although the three instruments are distinct, they contain some overlapping items, which allow for direct cross-audience comparison on trust, use, concerns, optimism, comfort with specific AI applications, expectations of schools and the perceived importance of research evidence.