Over 80% of Surveyed College Students Have Used AI Tools
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77.51% of respondents believe AI tools can help improve efficiency, while 59.65% worry about potential risks
"What does the world look like in your eyes?"
"...the universe is infinite."
"Help me write an email. But do you ever feel tired doing these things?"
"As a language model, I don't have the concept of fatigue, but I'm happy to help humans complete tasks."
This isn't a scene from a sci-fi movie, but the gradually appearing responses on the screen made Qi Hao, a student at Beijing Language and Culture University, feel like he was in a sci-fi blockbuster. About a year ago, Qi Hao learned about AI tools like ChatGPT from news reports. He tried conversing with AI tools with skepticism but ended up opening a door to a new world: "It's like making a distant friend." Now, he's a loyal user of AI tools, "using them almost every day."
With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, AI tools have begun entering ordinary people's daily lives. Recently, China Youth Daily and Zhongqing Campus Media conducted a questionnaire survey on AI tool usage among college students nationwide, collecting 7,055 valid responses. The results show that 84.88% of respondents have used AI tools, with 16.30% using them frequently, 57.49% occasionally, and 19.43% hardly ever.
AI Assistance Helps Young People "Amplify Their Abilities"
Zhang Hang from Jinan University extracts a paragraph from an English research paper, inputs it into an AI chat tool, and issues the command: "Please summarize this text briefly in Chinese." Within five seconds, his "study assistant" delivers a concise version. This method allows Zhang to complete his pre-class readings swiftly. Before discovering AI tools, he tried translation software to speed up reading English literature, but the translations were often less coherent than the original text. His "study assistant" also doubles as a "secretary," polishing emails or correcting grammar for his foreign correspondents. To Zhang, AI trained on vast datasets is akin to an "all-rounder."
After becoming proficient with AI tools, Qi Hao felt like he had discovered a "new world." "Assisting with coding, checking translation accuracy, drafting documents for student organizations, learning foreign languages, internship tasks..." Gradually, AI tools have become integral to various aspects of Qi's life.
As tech-savvy students, Zhang and Qi are at the forefront of AI adoption. Feng Zixuan, Vice Dean of the AI and Law School at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, explains: "In recent years, AI has advanced rapidly, achieving breakthroughs in image recognition, speech recognition, and natural language understanding. AI applications are now permeating daily life. Large language models like ChatGPT can already perform cross-domain tasks, handling language, math, coding, visual, legal, and medical fields—showing signs of general intelligence. Looking back years from now, this may be seen as a critical juncture toward a human-machine coexistence society."
Li Siqing, a student at a Jiangsu university, observes tangible changes brought by AI tools: "More classmates are using AI for learning assistance, potentially reshaping study habits. Our courses also keep pace with tech trends—some design instructors require AI tool usage and encourage participation in generative AI competitions."
A survey by China Youth Campus Media reveals AI tools are widely used for: information retrieval (61.30%), translation (58.31%), writing (45.75%), calculations (28.21%), table creation (17.49%), image editing (26.36%), audio/video generation (24.28%), and PPT production (24.83%). Notably, 77.51% of respondents believe AI tools can enhance work and study efficiency to some degree.
In addition to using AI tools to assist in learning and daily life, some university students are applying them for innovation. In Qi Hao's "Translation and Localization Technology Principles" class, the instructor teaches the use of AI tools. "The teacher hopes that with the help of AI tools, we can amplify our abilities," Qi Hao said. The final assignment for this course was to build a translator-assisted platform that incorporates AI tools to aid translation. Qi Hao and his group designed their own platform, "Through this platform, users can not only translate ancient poems but also use AI tools to visualize the content described in the poems as images." In the end, Qi Hao received a score of 97 for the final assignment, and he and his classmates submitted the project to a university entrepreneurship competition.
Walking with AI: A Long Road Ahead for Humanity
According to a survey by China Youth Campus Media, 18.26% of respondents believe AI tools are powerful and can help realize various ideas and needs, while 63.25% think AI tools can provide some assistance in work and study. However, 15.76% feel that AI tools are only suitable for entertainment and offer little help in learning or work.
Zhu Keyuan, a student at a university in Shandong, believes AI tools still have a long way to go. He acknowledges that in some areas, AI tools provide answers that surpass the level of beginners. "But many language models still produce text that doesn't quite align with normal language habits. Some AI drawing tools are sometimes too rigid or overly erratic," he said. As an editor for his campus media, Zhu once tried to turn photos of campus buildings into comic-style images, but the AI drawing tool often just outlined the edges, failing to achieve a comic effect. Sometimes, when he input an image of a person, the output would inexplicably turn into an animal.
Zhu Keyuan is also concerned about the risks of improper AI use. He has seen cases online where criminals used AI voice-changing technology for fraud. "Additionally, the barrier to using AI tools excludes many people, potentially widening the digital divide," he noted. In his view, many people, including himself, may already be "left behind" in the application of AI technology, even at risk of becoming "digital refugees."
Recently, a contestant's AI-generated sci-fi novel, The Land of Memories, won second prize in the 5th Jiangsu Youth Science Fiction Competition. Such cases have raised concerns for Li Siqing. "It's hard to judge whether it's fair for AI-assisted works to compete with original human creations in the same category. Some competitions should establish separate tracks for generative AI," she said. Zhang Hang also worries about academic misconduct due to misuse of AI tools: "How to detect whether academic works rely too heavily on AI is also worth considering."
A survey by China Youth Campus Media shows that 79.38% of respondents believe the development of AI tools is necessary, but it must be accompanied by proper regulation and governance. 59.65% expressed concerns about potential risks from improper use of AI tools, including criminals leveraging AI for illegal activities (83.47%), individuals using AI-generated works to disrupt fair competition (66.02%), the creation of false information harming public or private interests (60.44%), and AI tool abuse leading to infringement (55.93%).
Feng Zixuan notes that future lives will inevitably become more intertwined with AI. "AI-generated content may influence people's cognition, carrying biases, falsehoods, or harmful effects. Additionally, the AI divide could widen cognitive gaps between individuals, and over-reliance on AI might impair independent thinking. These are all potential risks."
Feng explains that China has implemented multiple measures at policy and legal levels to address risks from rapid AI development. In July, the Cyberspace Administration of China and other departments released the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services to standardize and guide generative AI development. "Local legislation on AI already has precedents. While there is no dedicated 'AI Law' at the national level, specialized laws like the Data Security Law, Cybersecurity Law, and Personal Information Protection Law include relevant provisions." Feng emphasizes that AI governance must be comprehensive due to its borderless nature. "Domestic policies need coordination, and we must actively participate in shaping international governance rules. At the 3rd Belt and Road Forum, President Xi Jinping announced China's Global AI Governance Initiative, voicing China's leadership in global AI governance."
Understanding and Proactive Learning Are Key to Coexisting with AI
Out of interest, Li Siqing, a journalism student, not only uses AI tools but has also analyzed social media portrayals of AI. "Comparing personal experience with social media narratives, I find AI is often mystified or misinterpreted—like clickbait claims such as 'AI is stealing your job' or 'Will AI destroy humanity?'" To Li, AI is ultimately a tool whose impact depends on the user's cognition and creativity.
Considering the influence AI tools have on users, Feng Zixuan believes it is crucial to use AI properly based on a correct understanding of its capabilities. "If we allow AI to shape us entirely, it could lead to dangerous outcomes. People must maintain their subjectivity while using AI," he said.
Zhu Keyuan adopts an approach that acknowledges both the limitations of AI tools and the latest technological advancements. To use AI tools more effectively, he sometimes searches for tutorials on platforms like Douyin and Bilibili or consults computer science and software engineering students for recommendations. "However, I still lack formal and systematic learning resources. I hope schools or institutions can provide learning opportunities to enhance our ability to use these tools while addressing ethical concerns and risks," he added.
Feng Zixuan argues that the widespread adoption of AI tools poses new demands on the education system. "Empowering the public to use and perceive AI tools correctly is a critical task. While individuals should actively improve their digital literacy, collective efforts from the government, media, schools, communities, and enterprises—especially high-tech companies with abundant resources—are essential to elevate societal digital literacy. This presents new challenges for our current education system," he explained.
"The values we promote in education and awareness campaigns are equally important. While AI carries potential risks, it is not inherently 'evil.' It enhances productivity, drives industrial growth, and plays a vital role in economic restructuring. Therefore, our understanding of AI tools should be comprehensive and balanced, requiring reasonable and moderate principles in communication and education," Feng noted.
When completing assignments, Qi Hao strictly adheres to each teacher's guidelines on AI tool usage. For tasks aimed at reinforcing his skills, he deliberately avoids relying on AI to preserve independent thinking. "I don’t want to become entirely dependent on AI tools. Instead, I prefer using them as assistants," he shared.
Li Siqing reflects on how to utilize the extra time AI tools create by improving efficiency. "Perhaps I can engage in deeper self-reflection, better understand myself, and shape my values. With AI's assistance, we might achieve more liberated and holistic personal development," she said.