Japanese university faculty revise teaching methods amid rising AI use

A survey conducted by the e-Learning Strategy Research Institute, operated by Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd., reveals widespread adoption of generative AI among university faculty in Japan. The report indicates that 86.1% of faculty use AI for administrative tasks, 70.4% for lesson preparation, and 91.3% for research activities.

Approximately 89.6% of respondents view AI as useful for higher education. Due to the increasing use of AI by students—particularly for writing reports—over 60% of faculty members have either already changed or plan to change their teaching methods, assignments, and evaluation processes. While over half of universities permit AI use under certain conditions, about 20% have not yet established formal operational policies.

The study also categorized AI maturity levels within institutions. Roughly 70% of universities have reached the stages of rule establishment or organizational operation. Usage patterns also vary by discipline: science faculty frequently use AI for translation and paper drafting, while information technology faculty utilize it for summarizing documents and programming.