Nearly half of South Korean high school students regularly use artificial intelligence in their studies, a recent survey found.
According to research released Wednesday by the Jinhak Educational Assessment Research Institute, 47.7 percent of students said they use artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and Gemini, for studying at least once a week.
By frequency, 25.2 percent said they use AI tools one to two times a week, 14.4 percent reported using them three or more times week and 8.1 percent said they use AI tools daily. Those using AI tools only once or twice a month amounted to 29.6 percent, while 22.7 percent reported not using them at all.
The institute said the findings suggest AI has already become a routine study aid for about half of Korean high school students. However, a similar share reported using AI rarely or not at all, raising concerns about a potential learning gap tied to access to or familiarity with such tools.
The study also found that students mainly rely on AI to support learning rather than simply retrieve answers.
Among 2,724 students who said they use AI for studying, 49.7 percent said they ask AI tools to explain difficult concepts to deepen their understanding. This was followed by requests for help solving problems, such as guidance, hints or identifying incorrect answers, at 29.0 percent; summarizing passages or notes at 27.9 percent and feedback on their own answers at 17.4 percent. Repetitive learning tasks, such as vocabulary lists or quizzes, accounted for 6.9 percent.
“Because students can ask questions anytime and receive immediate explanations, AI is becoming a new supplementary learning tool,” said Woo Youn-chul, head of the institute.
“While the Education Ministry is expanding AI-based education through designated AI-focused schools, students are already rapidly adapting to AI-driven learning environments outside the classroom,” he added.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
