Executive Summary
The use of generative AI among Norwegian students has significantly increased from 2023 to 2024. This report presents insights from the Studiebarometeret 2024 survey, highlighting trends in AI adoption, usage patterns across different fields of study, and the relationship between AI use and study habits.
Key Findings:
- 81% of students now use AI in their studies (up from 61% in 2023)
- 25% report using AI "often" (more than double from 12% in 2023)
- Usage varies significantly by field of study, with highest adoption in economics and natural sciences
- Only 17% of students report receiving adequate AI training
- Students primarily use AI to explain concepts and edit/quality-assure text
AI Usage: Overall Trends
AI Usage Frequency (2023 vs 2024)
There has been a substantial increase in AI usage among students from 2023 to 2024. The percentage of students not using AI dropped from 39% to just 19%, while frequent users ("often") increased from 12% to 25%.
AI Usage Distribution (2024)
The vast majority of students (81%) now use AI to some extent in their studies. Here's the breakdown of usage frequency:
AI Usage by Field of Study
AI Adoption Across Academic Fields
AI usage varies significantly across different academic disciplines. Economics and administrative programs show the highest adoption rate at 79%, followed closely by natural sciences and technical fields at 78%.
Top Programs for AI Usage
Within specific educational programs, economics and engineering students lead in AI adoption:
Highest AI Usage
Lowest AI Usage
AI Usage by Age
The survey shows a clear correlation between age and AI usage, with younger students (20-25 years) adopting AI at significantly higher rates than older students.
When examining usage across age groups and fields of study, younger students consistently show higher adoption rates across all disciplines:
| Field of Study | Under 25 | 25-39 | 40+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences & Technical Fields | 90% | 76% | 62% |
| Economics & Administrative Fields | 82% | 79% | 55% |
| Social Sciences & Law | 61% | 53% | 39% |
| Health, Social Studies & Sports | 52% | 47% | 33% |
| Humanities & Aesthetic Fields | 33% | 33% | 29% |
How Students Use AI
AI Applications in Student Work
Students use AI tools for various purposes, with explaining concepts and quality checking text being the most common applications. There has been a noticeable increase in most types of AI use from 2023 to 2024.
AI Applications by Field of Study
Different fields show varying patterns in how AI is used:
- Natural Sciences & Technical Fields: 58% use AI for coding (compared to 4-23% in other fields)
- Humanities & Aesthetic Fields: Higher usage for generating media (15%)
- Economics & Administrative: Highest rate of text generation (32%)
Across all fields, explaining concepts (52-80%) and quality checking text (42-61%) remain the most common AI applications.
AI Training and Study Time
Adequacy of AI Training
Students report a significant gap in AI training. Only 17% report receiving adequate training in AI tools, while 67% feel they receive insufficient training.
AI Usage and Study Time
The survey reveals interesting patterns in how AI usage correlates with study time:
Key observations:
- Students who use AI "often" spend less time in organized learning activities (13 hours vs 16.3 hours for non-users)
- However, frequent AI users spend more time on self-study (20 hours vs 17 hours for non-users)
- Total study time remains similar, suggesting AI may help students redistribute their learning efforts
Most Popular AI Tools
Top AI Tools Used by Students
ChatGPT dominates the AI tool landscape among Norwegian students, with other tools showing much lower adoption rates.