AI is giving students more time for side hustles, survey shows

A new study by Adobe Acrobat has found that AI is helping UK university students reclaim their free time, which is allowing them to spend it on earning extra money.    

According to the University – Now vs Then study, which surveyed 500 UK students and graduates, more than two-thirds of Gen Z students agree that AI is their biggest time saver at university. 

When asked how they’re spending their spare time, 26% of Gen Z students said they are using it to run their own digital business while studying, and 18% of current and former students said they have launched a full online side hustle.

AI and the rise of student side hustles 

However, the attitude towards AI differs between generations. The study showed that only one in eight (15%) of Gen X respondents said AI had been a useful productivity tool during their university years, indicating the relatively recent emergence of tools such as ChatGPT and Grammarly.

It’s a similar story when the survey looked at the amount of time students spend on assignments. Nearly two thirds (63%) of Gen Z students said they typically spend less than 12 hours completing university work, while only 6% spend two to three days on assignments. By comparison, 22% of Baby Boomers said assignments typically took two to three days to complete. 

The study also found technology is changing how students collaborate. One third of respondents said they now prefer completing group work remotely to save time, as 46% of 25–34-year-olds believe technology makes it easy to share files in group work. Naturally, face-to-face group work has declined in recent years, the study indicated, with only 4% of 18-24s regularly meeting up for in-person work.

Technological shifts in academic collaboration and creativity 

The research also found looked at the impact AI has on creativity. One in five respondents said that it had reduced their creativity. On the flipside, 18% believed AI had improved their creative output. Although 34% admit that they felt more satisfied after months of manual research and project development.

The research also found that internet access remains the biggest time-saving tool for students overall, according to 48% of respondents, while AI-powered tools such as Grammarly were particularly popular among students aged 25-34.