When Leah Harris started her freshman year at San Diego State University, she was surprised to see how many students used artificial intelligence in their schoolwork.
“Everyone I know uses it,” she said. “I’d get in trouble in high school for that.”
New data show how widespread the use of AI is on California’s college campuses — and how mixed students’ feelings are about it.
More than 94,000 students, faculty and staff across the California State University (CSU) system filled out a survey about AI last fall. Other local universities, including UC San Diego and City, Mesa and Miramar Colleges, also participated.
Nearly 90% of student respondents at San Diego-based schools said they use ChatGPT. At the same time, 8 in 10 said they worry about AI negatively affecting creativity, privacy, the environment and job security.
“It’s not just an either-or. ‘I love it’ or ‘I hate it,’” said EJ Sobo, an SDSU professor who helped develop the survey. “There's really complex, ambivalent emotions and beliefs and feelings going on there.”
In February 2025, the CSU system launched an initiative that made tools like ChatGPT Edu — a version of the program with data privacy and security features for schools — and training programs available to students, faculty and staff.
Students are reporting both positive and negative impacts of AI on their academics, said SDSU professor David Goldberg.
“They use AI to study for an exam, or to create flashcards in a way that helps them improve their performance in class,” he said. “But at the same time, there are these concerns about, are they over relying on it, and is it replacing some of that cognitive development that is supposed to go on in these courses.”
Zoie Lam has those concerns. She studies political science at SDSU. She uses AI to help her write essays and get summaries of reading assignments, she said.
“I’m too reliant or dependent on it,” she said. “I’m aware of that, but I’m still using it.”
Most San Diego students agreed AI will become an essential part of most professions. But just one in three respondents said their professors teach them how to use AI effectively.
“The faculty care deeply about the success of their students,” said James Frazee, SDSU’s vice president for information technology. “This helps us ground these conversations in reality, or the perceived reality of the people that we're here to serve.”
Frazee said about 80 SDSU faculty met during winter break to plan how they could incorporate AI into their classes. One created a virtual tutor with his students. Another used AI to create thesis statement examples for a writing lesson.
The SDSU Faculty Senate also passed a resolution requiring faculty to list AI policies on their syllabuses, Goldberg said.
“It could be that AI use is totally prohibited. It could be that you can use it, but there are certain rules about how you use it and what you use it for,” Goldberg said. “And that is up to the instructor, but at least give students something to go on in terms of expectations.”
SDSU also offers a brief course for students, faculty and staff on generative AI. It covers how AI works, what it can do and responsible use.
