Examination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use and Perspectives from Higher Education Faculty

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools rapidly expand across higher education, instructors are navigating new opportunities and challenges. This session shares findings from a Fall 2025 survey conducted by the presenters, full-time university faculty members who examined how instructors are using AI, how they feel about its growing presence, and what factors shape their willingness to adopt it.

The study gathered data from full- and part-time faculty across disciplines, focusing on the types of AI tools used, frequency of use, perceived benefits, primary concerns, and overall attitudes toward AI. The analysis also draws associations between faculty age/experience and perceptions/likelihood of AI use. These associations will be presented in clear, practitioner-friendly language.

During the session, attendees will explore several guiding questions:
• How are faculty actually using AI?
• What benefits do instructors see for teaching, research, and productivity?
• What concerns or barriers are limiting adoption?

These insights will help participants compare national trends with their own institutional experiences and better understand the evolving role of AI in academic work.

The session will end with a brief reflective activity that invites attendees to consider how the findings apply to their own professional contexts. Participants will think through whether, and in what ways, AI could support their teaching, research, or workflow. The goal is to move from broad discussion to intentional, practice-based decision-making.

This presentation ultimately offers a novel look at faculty use of AI at a pivotal moment in higher education and provides attendees with practical insights to inform their integration or questions to raise to their own university AI task forces.