68% of young students say AI saves time, while one in five report less creativity

The Adobe Acrobat survey of UK students and graduates shows AI is changing assignment time, remote collaboration, and how Gen Z students balance university work with earning money.

Adobe Acrobat surveyed 500 UK students and graduates on how AI, digital tools, and remote collaboration are changing university study habits and creative work

A new Adobe Acrobat study has found that 68 percent of young students say artificial intelligence is their biggest time saver at university, while one in five students say technology has reduced their creativity.

The research surveyed 500 UK students and graduates on how university study has changed across generations. It examined the use of AI study assistants, digital libraries, productivity apps, remote collaboration tools, and online platforms used by students to earn money.

Adobe Acrobat’s findings show a generational split in how students use AI and digital tools. Only 15 percent of Gen X respondents said AI was useful for efficiency and productivity during their time at university, while younger students now have access to tools such as ChatGPT and Grammarly.

The study found that 18 percent of students said AI had transformed their creative output for the better, with Gen Z students the most likely to report a positive creative effect.

The research also connects AI use with student finances. A third of Gen Z students said AI tools saved them time on university projects, giving them more time to earn money, compared with three percent of Gen X respondents.

AI saves time, but creativity is more complicated

Adobe Acrobat’s study suggests AI is changing the pace of university work, but students are split on what that means for the quality and originality of their output.

Almost a quarter of Baby Boomer respondents said they spent around two or three days completing university assignments. Among Gen Z students, only six percent said they spend that long, while 63 percent said they spend less than 12 hours.

Across all age groups, internet access for research was named as the biggest time saver when doing university work, cited by 48 percent of respondents. Instant translators were the least-cited time-saving tool, at seven percent.

AI-powered tools are more prominent among younger respondents. Grammarly and similar tools were favored by 25 percent of Gen Z respondents and 36 percent of Millennials, while Gen X respondents were more likely to cite general internet access and file sharing.

The study also found that 66 percent of students felt dissatisfied with their work after months of manual research without using technology tools. A quarter of respondents said technology had dramatically improved the quality of their work.

Remote group work becomes part of student life

Adobe Acrobat’s findings also point to a shift away from face-to-face collaboration. A third of students said they now prefer to complete all group work remotely to save time. Among Gen Z respondents, 43 percent said they prefer remote group work, compared with eight percent of Gen X respondents.

Only four percent of Gen Z respondents said they had ever collaborated in person, compared with 31 percent of Gen X respondents when they were at university.

Online presentation tools also appear to affect confidence. Across all age groups, 29 percent of respondents said presenting online made them less nervous and helped them perform better.

A quarter of respondents said they valued the organization that comes from online diaries and timelines, with digital planning tools becoming part of how students manage university work.

Digital tools support student income

The study found that digital tools are also changing how students manage money while studying. Among Gen Z students, 33 percent said AI tools had helped them find more time to earn money by reducing the time spent on university projects.

Adobe Acrobat’s research also found that almost a third of current and former students said technology helped them sell items faster through online stores such as Etsy, eBay, and Vinted.

The study found that 18 percent of current and former students had created a side hustle business using online technology. Among Gen Z students, 26 percent said they had launched an online side hustle, compared with three percent of Gen X respondents when they were at university.

Adobe Acrobat said 27 percent of Gen Z students feel strongly against paying high tuition fees as AI and digital tools change how they study. The survey was based on responses from 500 UK students and graduates.