In brief: Artificial intelligence is taking over the classroom, and it's playing both sides of the ball. While some teachers are doing their best to fight back against AI-generated assignments, others are leveraging the emerging tech to help get their own work done.
According to the latest Gallup study on educator perspectives, six out of 10 teachers working at public K-12 schools in the US used an AI tool to help with their work during the 2024-2025 school year. Among those polled, AI was most often used to help prepare lesson plans, make worksheets or activities, and to modify existing material to better meet students' needs.
Some teachers are also utilizing AI on a regular basis. Across nine common teaching tasks that AI helps with, 32 percent of educators said they use AI tools on a weekly basis.
Those figures aren't all that surprising – and seem a bit low – considering most claim AI saves them time. Teachers that use AI weekly reported an estimated 5.9 hours saved on average each week. Over the span of a full school year, the savings are substantial and free up teachers to focus on other tasks like providing more nuanced student feedback, emailing parents, and creating individualized lesson plans.
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Educators also report that AI helps improve the quality of their work, enhancing everything from grading and feedback to administrative tasks. As with most things in life, what you get out is directly related to how much time and effort you invest into it – and it's no different with AI.
Data shows that teachers who use AI tools on a frequent basis report higher quality of work compared to those who utilize the tech less frequently.
With the 2025-2026 school year fast approaching, one thing is for certain: AI is here to stay. Both teachers and students are using the tech in unprecedented numbers and that's only likely to continue.
Image credit: Annika Gordon
Majority of US teachers now use AI tools, saving an average of 5.9 hours each week
