Gauging Duke Students’ Perspectives on Generative AI
During the Spring 2025 semester, CARADITE launched “Gauging Duke Students’ Perspectives on Generative AI,” a research study to better understand Duke students’ use and opinion of AI. CARADITE’s two undergraduate research assistants–Emma Ren (T’27) and Barron Brothers (T’26)–helped design the study, develop an original survey instrument, secure IRB approval, and field a survey of their peers. The survey asked students to share information about a variety of topics, including how frequently AI is used for academic and everyday purposes, perceptions of AI trustworthiness, and opinions about AI in education. Following data collection throughout April of 2025, CARADITE analyzed responses from 104 undergraduate and graduate students representing over 40 majors and fields of study. Three-quarters of the student respondents (78 of 104) represented five disciplines: economics, computer science, psychology, biology, and mathematics.
This publication of CARADITE resources pairs select findings from our study, including student responses to open-ended questions and statistical summaries, with LILE-produced pedagogical recommendations and resources for Duke instructors. This publication centers student perspectives as Duke grows its suite of AI platforms and campus initiatives.
The collection addresses four topics:
Complementing these resources, CARADITE will publish additional findings and commentaries via white papers, blog posts, and other instructional resources to be shared with the Duke community.
Methods
Data were collected from 136 unique students who participated in the survey. Incomplete and duplicate responses were removed prior to analysis. The survey also included a question about the existence of unicorns, included to ensure that respondents were reading and responding to questions carefully; responses from individuals who incorrectly answered the unicorn question were discarded and also not included in the final dataset.
For questions or comments about this study, please contact CARADITE Faculty Director Aria Chernik (aria.chernik@duke.edu) or Associate Director Remi Kalir (remi.kalir@duke.edu).