What is it about?
This study looks at how online non-traditional undergraduate students use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to stay engaged, personalize their learning, and get schoolwork done more efficiently. Using survey data, the study analyzed how academic performance, skill confidence, technology proficiency, and weekly time commitments relate to how often students use GenAI connect to students’ use of GenAI. Findings show that students who used GenAI more often tended to have stronger academic performance and confidence in technology skills, while time constraints and lower academic confidence did not appear to drive use. Students who were doing well academically and felt confident using technology were more likely to use GenAI to deepen understanding, generate ideas, and streamline academic tasks. Students described GenAI as a supportive thinking partner, while also identifying concerns related to authorship, accuracy, and academic integrity.
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Why is it important?
This study provides real-world insight into how adult, non-traditional online students use GenAI in their learning. The findings challenge the idea that students use GenAI only when they are struggling. Instead, students who were confident academically and comfortable with technology were more likely to use GenAI in purposeful ways. The study adds student-centered evidence from an online, self-paced learning environment and offers practical guidance for ethical AI use, digital equity efforts, and future research on AI-supported learning.
Perspectives
We hope this article helps people see student use of GenAI in a more balanced and human way. It is easy to assume students are using AI to take shortcuts or avoid learning, but our findings tell a more interesting story. Many are using GenAI as a thinking partner to clarify ideas, organize their work, and move through coursework with more confidence. For adult learners balancing school, work, family, and everything else life throws at them, the question is not simply whether AI should be allowed. The more important question is how we help students use it responsibly, ethically, and in ways that strengthen learning rather than replace it. If nothing else, we hope this article encourages educators and institutions to move beyond fear-based conversations about AI and toward practical support, clearer guidance, and a deeper understanding of how students are already using these tools.
Jessica Sylvester
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Strategic integration or skill compensation? Understanding GenAI use in online higher education, Artificial Intelligence in Education, June 2026, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/aiie-08-2025-0237.
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