Gen Z students are using AI to write essays, do homework — and even get into college
Nearly every Gen Z student is now relying on AI to get through school — with 97% saying they've used tools like ChatGPT, according to a new ScholarshipOwl survey of more than 12,000 high school and college students. More than 1 in 5 admitted they used it to write college or scholarship essays before even setting foot on campus.
And it doesn't stop there.
5 Nearly every Gen Z student surveyed said they've used AI tools in school — not just for studying, but to write essays and complete assignments.
Jack Forbes / NY Post Design
About 31% said they've used AI to write class essays, while 35% use it for homework answers. Another 66% turn to it for studying, 56% for test prep and 46% for note-taking.
What used to be called 'cheating' is now just a browser tab away.
'Honestly, I've never met a student who doesn't use AI or has never used AI to cheat on an assignment,' said Roy Lee, a former Columbia University student who said he used ChatGPT to write 80% of his college essays, told The Post. 'AI is just part of the student workflow now.'
5 Students are stacking multiple platforms like ChatGPT, Grammarly and Gemini to write, organize and finish assignments in record time.
waketaylor/TikTok
Lee, 21, was later suspended from Columbia for building a tool to cheat in job interviews, which led him to co-found Cluely, a startup that claims to help users 'cheat on everything.'
'I think using AI to work more efficiently and to learn concepts is perfectly fine,' Dr. Thomas Lancaster, an academic integrity expert at Imperial College London, told The Post. '(But) if using AI means you're not learning anything during the process, it's probably unfair.'
ChatGPT was the most popular tool, used by 80% of students. Others leaned on Quizlet, Grammarly, Brainly, Google Gemini and more. Some students said they juggle up to six tools at once — stacking apps to write, research, organize and complete assignments with minimal effort.
5 The viral clip of a UCLA grad flashing ChatGPT on his laptop pulled nearly 90 million views and ignited debate over whether degrees still mean anything.
FearBuck/ X
And Gen Z is bragging about it.
A viral video of a UCLA graduate flashing ChatGPT on his laptop during the graduation ceremony racked up nearly 90 million views on X.
The backlash was immediate. 'Our generation of doctors is doomed,' one user wrote. Another added, 'If ChatGPT is why you graduated, ChatGPT has already taken your job. You just haven't realized it yet.'
In one viral TikTok, a student screams at her laptop: 'When ChatGPT is still giving me the wrong answers and I've almost reached my free limit.' The post — a nod to the daily cap on free ChatGPT messages — pulled in seven million views.
5 Students are turning their AI habits into content, with TikToks about ChatGPT use on homework pulling in millions of views.
emsea123/TikTok
'At this point I have like 85 Google accounts to switch for more free answers,' one commenter quipped.
Critics say the trend is doing real damage.
An MIT study found students who used ChatGPT for essays showed the lowest brain activity and got progressively lazier, often copy full responses.
'I've seen high schoolers completely unable to write an essay without ChatGPT,' one Reddit user warned.
5 MIT researchers found that students who used ChatGPT to write essays became less engaged over time and retained little of what they'd written.
CarlosBarquero – stock.adobe.com
Still, some experts say the burden shouldn't fall entirely on students.
Richard Clark, expert on college admissions and executive director of Strategic Student Access at Georgia Tech, said the college admissions process hasn't kept up.
'Frankly, I'm hopeful AI marks the death of the admission and scholarship essay,' Clark said. 'Nobody loves the essay. And more schools that want to hear a student's voice will soon let them actually speak it — through video, audio, and tech that doesn't just test writing but highlights who they are.'
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