Students in Catalonia lead the way in the adoption of AI in the educational and professional sphere, three points above the national average
Planeta Formación y Universidades, the Grupo Planeta's higher education network, in collaboration with GAD3, has presented its report ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Employability of the Future for Higher Education Students’ within the framework of the conference ‘Artificial Intelligence and Digital Talent: Efficiency and Competitiveness in SMEs’, organised by Planeta Formación y Universidades and PIMEC. The study analyses the level of knowledge, use and perception of AI among university students from different disciplines and academic areas in Catalonia.
Artificial intelligence has experienced a remarkable boom in recent years. This phenomenon has brought about a significant change in the way society interacts with this technology, from virtual assistants to content generation or advanced editing tools, transforming the way they approach tasks in both the personal and professional spheres. Education, in particular, has seen AI as a transformative tool in teaching, personalisation of learning and access to content, while opening new doors in employability.
Use and knowledge of artificial intelligence
Among the main conclusions of the study, 96% of Catalan students have used or use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, placing them at the forefront in their adoption in the educational and professional sphere, three points above the national average, and 7 out of 10 do so at user level. Regarding the type of tools they use most, 81% of students say they use generative AI, 60% use virtual assistants and 30% use simulated learning environments.
Among the main uses, the following stand out: task optimisation (65%), image analysis (59%) and automation (56%). However, only 53% consider themselves to have an advanced knowledge of how they work. This knowledge is especially high among engineering and architecture students, where 6 out of 10 consider themselves to be well informed about the technology, while in areas such as humanities and arts it is only 32%.
Challenges and opportunities
The general perception of AI is positive. For 47% of students, these tools improve efficiency and productivity, for 37%, the automation of repetitive tasks is the biggest advantage they gain, with the same percentage highlighting advances in research and development as a key element. At the employment level, the most frequently mentioned positive consequences of AI are: the creation of specialised jobs (37%) and new opportunities in emerging sectors (30%).
However, the report points out that Catalan students also see different challenges related to the implementation of artificial intelligence. 35% are concerned about the ethical implications of using AI, 34% fear losing their jobs due to automation and 29% consider the risks associated with data privacy.
The crucial role of educational institutions
The study underlines the crucial role of educational institutions in preparing students for a future workforce shaped by artificial intelligence. For 68%, it is important for educational institutions to integrate AI-related content into their academic programmes, rising to 79% of master's students. In contrast, only 22% of students in Catalonia say they have received some kind of training on AI. The highest figure is registered among private VET institutions (53%), well above other types of institutions.
In turn, around 70% believe that universities and educational centres should offer specific training programmes for teachers in the use and teaching of AI, which is essential for teaching it in a way that is applicable in a real context.
Among the possible measures that Catalan students believe should be taken to mitigate the negative impact on those profiles that could be replaced by AI, the following stand out: training and skills updating programmes (44%), the establishment of regulations on the use of AI in employment (41%) and the promotion of skills that cannot be replaced by AI (41%).
For Narciso Michavila, president and founder of GAD3, who presented the study, ‘it was foreseeable that young people would become familiar with artificial intelligence, but the extent of its use in Catalonia is revealing. The fact that 96% of students use this type of tool indicates that this technology is rapidly transforming education and the labour market. Educational institutions must incorporate artificial intelligence into their curricula and train teachers to guarantee ethical and responsible use, ensuring that students are prepared for an increasingly digitised future’.
For his part, Jordi Marín, director of the new AI Research Centre at Planeta Formación y Universidades, emphasises the need for this research to understand how AI is transforming the Spanish labour market by creating new employment opportunities and what measures are being taken to prepare the workforce for the jobs of the future and ensure a just transition.
