Global student housing brand and operator Yugo’s new research reveals the extent to which students are both excited – and equally concerned – by the powerful presence of AI in their everyday lives.
Yugo surveyed over 7,000 students living in its accommodation across nine countries to explore how students feel about AI and to better understand their perspectives. Just under half of UK students (44%) are excited by the new technology and the multiple opportunities it presents in health, education and preventing climate change.
AI is already proving an empowering study buddy with just under half of British students (43%) using it to proof academic work and help with grammar. A third are using the technology to simplify complex information (31%) and spark new ideas (31%), while 21% are drawing on AI to craft CVs.
But ironically UK students’ enjoyment of the groundbreaking tech is compromised by substantial fears about the impact it might have on their future jobs (78%), along with an eventual decline in human intelligence (56%).
In order to equip students with the best knowledge and practical experience of the new technology, Yugo has launched The Power of AI training which will be delivered through a series of dedicated interactive workshops and hands-on training sessions.
These online classes will form part of the YuPro pillar of Yugo’s Live Your Best Life (LYBL) programme, which offers internships, graduate opportunities, and resources to help prepare students for their future careers.
“At Yugo, we’re always striving to understand the mindset and aspirations of students living in our spaces. This research is groundbreaking in both its size and geographical reach and paints a compelling picture.
“It reveals much excitement about the potential of AI, particularly in education, healthcare and technology. But there is clear concern about its threat to students’ job prospects.
“As a globally leading brand and operator of student accommodation in the UK and the largest provider in Europe, our priority is to support students with the skills to flourish in their future careers and life beyond university.
“We have already embraced AI across multiple business functions, but our new training programme represents a significant leap forward in equipping both our workforce and students for an AI-driven future.”
Joe Persechino, Chief Operating Officer, Yugo
Benefits of AI
For UK students, the biggest predicted benefit of AI is its ability to advance healthcare and technology (57%), closely followed by a boost in productivity (54%) and an improvement in work/life balance (55%).
Furthermore, UK survey respondents are delighted at the prospect of faster progress on climate change and increased education for all (48%). A quarter (22%) are hopeful AI will improve access to mental health services, which has historically been poorly resourced and expensive.
Wider societal impacts
Yugo’s research also highlights concerns about AI’s impact on future society. Beyond job and career implications, 65% of female students in the UK are concerned about a loss of human-to-human interaction, compared with half of men. Whilst these figures are comparable with the international average of 59% for both genders, they reflect a broader pattern of more AI hesitancy amongst female students.
Whilst students enthusiastically use AI, they worry that over time it could erode intimacy. A third believe genuine friendships could be replaced by the new technology and a similar number (27%) even believe romantic partners could be replaced by AI companions.
Political and economic concerns are prevalent across the world too. Over half worry about increased cybersecurity threats (55%), fake news (51%) and the risk of AI being negatively harnessed for political purposes (50%).
