University Instructor’s Generative AI Perceptions and Use

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) holds significant potential to transform the educational landscape, offering new opportunities and challenges for teaching and learning. The release of advanced tools like ChatGPT has accelerated interest in exploring their applications and implications. Despite its growing use, it is necessary to understand how instructors utilize GenAI, how different instructor demographic groups perceive their readiness to use GenAI, and the benefits and challenges of its use in teaching and learning. This survey study was conducted in the spring of 2024 and involved 139 university instructors in U.S. public universities. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, ANOVA, and correlation. The findings indicate that while university instructors frequently use GenAI for general purposes, they are less comfortable and less likely to use it for teaching. Many instructors feel reasonably comfortable designing learning activities with these tools. Perceptions of GenAI varied significantly by instructors’ rank and discipline, with adjuncts and social sciences faculty perceiving fewer benefits and greater challenges. Additionally, instructors who taught more courses found GenAI tools less challenging, whereas older instructors perceived more limitations. These findings suggest that policies, guidelines, and professional development should consider instructor differences to address the varying adoption rates and perceptions of ethical use.