Source
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), August 2025
Summary
This national survey captures the views of 1,229 staff and 1,005 learners across Ireland’s further, higher, and English language education sectors on their knowledge, use, and perceptions of generative AI (GenAI). The report reveals growing engagement with GenAI but also wide disparities in understanding, policy, and preparedness. Most respondents recognise AI’s transformative impact but remain uncertain about its role in assessment, academic integrity, and employability.
While over 80% of staff and learners believe GenAI will significantly change education and work over the next five years, few feel equipped to respond. Only 20% of staff and 14% of learners report access to GenAI training. Policies are inconsistent or absent, with most institutions leaving decisions on use to individual educators. Both staff and learners support transparent, declared use of GenAI but express concerns about bias, overreliance, loss of essential skills, and declining trust in qualifications. Respondents call for coherent national and institutional policies, professional development, and curriculum reform that balances innovation with integrity.
Key Points
- 82% of respondents expect GenAI to transform learning and work within five years.
- 63% of staff and 36% of learners believe GenAI literacy should be explicitly taught.
- Fewer than one in five institutions currently provide structured GenAI training.
- Policies on GenAI use are inconsistent, unclear, or absent in most institutions.
- Over half of respondents fear skill erosion and reduced academic trust from AI use.
- 70% of staff say assessment rules for GenAI lack clarity or consistency.
- 83% of learners believe GenAI will change how they are assessed.
- Staff and learners call for transparent declaration of GenAI use in assignments.
- 61% of staff feel learners are unprepared to use GenAI responsibly in the workplace.
- Respondents emphasise ethical governance, inclusion, and sustainable AI adoption.
Conclusion
The survey highlights a critical moment for Irish education: generative AI is already influencing learning and work, yet systems for policy, training, and ethics are lagging behind. To maintain public trust and educational relevance, QQI recommends a coordinated national response centred on transparency, AI literacy, and values-led governance that equips both learners and educators for an AI-driven future.
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