Global Survey: 70% of University Faculty Now Use AI in Teaching and Research

The Digital Education Council's 2026 Global Survey on AI in Higher Education—drawing on 45,398 responses from 35 countries—has revealed that artificial intelligence adoption in universities has reached unprecedented levels. Over 70% of faculty respondents report using AI tools in their teaching or research workflows.

For SSH researchers, the findings are particularly significant. The survey shows that qualitative researchers are increasingly using AI for thematic coding, literature mapping, and translation of multilingual source materials. However, 62% of SSH faculty express concern about maintaining 'epistemic integrity' when AI tools mediate their interpretive processes.

Students are even more enthusiastic adopters, with 84% reporting regular use of generative AI for academic tasks. This has forced institutions to rapidly develop new academic integrity policies, with many still struggling to distinguish between legitimate AI-assisted research and academic misconduct.

The survey highlights a growing digital divide: well-resourced institutions in North America and Europe have developed comprehensive AI ethics frameworks, while universities in the Global South often lack both the infrastructure and policy guidance to integrate AI responsibly.

Experts recommend that doctoral programmes urgently incorporate AI literacy and ethics training into their curricula, ensuring that the next generation of SSH researchers can leverage these tools while maintaining the rigorous standards of humanistic inquiry.