This study looks at how academic department chair are using generative artificial intelligence, with highly detailed data on use of ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, Claude, Grok, Llama and other applications. The report has data on the percentage of faculty who have paid subscriptions to ChatGPT, non-paid subscriptions and other use options for other generative AI applications. The study furnishes a road map to who, how and how much academic department chair are using generative AI, and which applications they are using and for what purpose.
The study gives highly specific data on how academic department chair are using generative AI, with complete and refined data sets for many particular applications, including but not limited to literature reviews, research summaries, writing assistance, grading exams, developing exam questions, developing lectures and other course materials, developing slides, coaching students in use of AI, developing a prompts database, finding grant opportunities and other uses of and applications for AI.
The report also looks at how department chair are learning about use of generative AI, with precise data on the percentage who have taken an official course, used on online tutorial, engaged in self-study, or other means to learn about best practices in generative AI use. Survey participants also give their advice on how to use generative AI, and comment on and measure how use of AI has impacted their personal productivity.
Just a few of this 150-page report’s many findings are that:
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Use of Gemini is highest among business and English/Languages chairs and lowest in the hard sciences.
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Use of Claude is highest in Math/Stats/Engineering.
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38% of public college academic department chair have taken some kind of formal course or training in how to use artificial intelligence.
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Nearly 53% of chair over age 65 have used an academic library interactive video or webinar about how to use artificial intelligence.
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Chair under age 40 report the highest productivity gains from use of generative AI.
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23% of academic departments sampled have formal guidelines on AI use.
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Nearly 43% of visual arts department chair report coaching students in AI use
The survey data provides insights into the fundraising efforts of a random sample of 116 academic department chair with data broken out by academic field and size and type of department, for public and private colleges, by college tuition level, and for personal characteristics of the chair, such as age and gender.