Working with ChatGPT and Co.: Students expect AI to make their professional lives easier

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Literature research, comprehension questions, translations: The majority of students use artificial intelligence

Photo: Parradee Kietsirikul / Getty Images

A large proportion of students in Germany hope that artificial intelligence (AI) will make their future professional lives easier. This is shown by the survey by the consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY), which was published on Tuesday.

Almost two thirds (65 percent) of those surveyed expected that the use of AI would have a positive impact - for example through faster and error-free work or a better work-life balance. Only 14 percent expected negative consequences such as the loss of jobs. A good fifth of those surveyed said that AI would be irrelevant to their future professional lives.

Economics students are particularly confident. Here, 80 percent of those surveyed said that AI would have a positive impact on their professional future. Engineering and computer science students are also particularly optimistic (76 percent). Humanities students, on the other hand, express themselves more cautiously; only half believe in positive effects. Social, linguistic and literary scientists are also less confident (52 percent).

From the students' point of view, knowledge of artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role not only in everyday working life, but also when starting their professional life: a good quarter of those surveyed said that knowledge of possible AI applications is already indispensable when entering the labor market. More than half (55 percent) assumed that this would happen soon.

86 percent already use AI applications in their studies

The survey shows that AI has long since become part of students' everyday lives. Almost nine out of ten respondents (86 percent) used AI applications more or less frequently during their studies: 13 percent of respondents used tools such as chatbots frequently, 41 percent occasionally and 32 percent very rarely. According to the information, they use them, among other things, for research, to clarify comprehension questions or to create texts. The most commonly used tool is ChatGPT. 70 percent of those surveyed said they had already worked with it.

For the study, a market research institute surveyed more than 2,000 students in Germany on behalf of EY. The representative online survey was carried out in February.

fla/dpa