How Are Students Using ChatGPT and Claude? Do They Learn More with AI and How?

rtificial intelligence is changing how we learn, work, and create, with ChatGPT from OpenAI and Claude from Anthropic leading the way. Two 2025 research papers—Anthropic’s Economic Index and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Usage study—offer a deep dive into who’s using these tools, what they’re doing with them, and what it means for education.

With AI adoption doubling and usage soaring, students and teachers can harness these tools for tutoring, creativity, and efficiency, but uneven access raises concerns. Here’s what you need to know about how ChatGPT and Claude are shaping classrooms and beyond, drawn directly from the data.

Where Is AI Being Used Most?

AI usage varies widely by region, with high-income countries leading and low-income areas lagging, which could impact educational access.

ChatGPT’s Global Reach: ChatGPT boasts 700 million weekly users, about 10% of the world’s adults, sending 18 billion messages weekly. The U.S. leads, but middle-income countries ($10,000–$40,000 GDP per capita) are catching up fast, with usage growth outpacing high-income nations from May 2024 to May 2025. Low-income countries (<$1,000 GDP per capita) are growing but still trail significantly.

Claude’s Concentrated Use: Claude has fewer users, with the U.S. (21.6% of usage) and India (7.2%) at the forefront. Per capita, Singapore (4.6x expected usage), Canada (2.9x), and Australia (4.1x) dominate, while India (0.27x) and Nigeria (0.2x) lag. In the U.S., Washington, D.C. (3.8x) and Utah (3.8x) stand out, driven by local industries like tech and finance.

For education, this means students in wealthier regions have access to diverse AI tools for learning, while those in poorer areas often focus on basic tasks like coding, which could limit opportunities.

How Are Students Using AI, and Does It Help Them Learn?

Students are turning to ChatGPT and Claude for personalized support, from explaining tough concepts to drafting essays. The data shows they can learn more—but only with the right approach.

ChatGPT in Classrooms: Students, especially 18-25-year-olds (46% of messages), use it for tutoring, like breaking down the French Revolution or generating practice problems. Education makes up 10.2% of all messages, often under “Practical Guidance” (29% of usage). It’s like having a 24/7 tutor, boosting engagement and retention when used for explanations or feedback.

Claude’s Educational Surge: Claude’s educational use jumped from 9.3% to 12.4% in eight months (Dec 2024–Aug 2025), with tasks like creating study guides or summarizing research growing fast. Students delegate full tasks more (27% to 39%), which saves time but can reduce deep learning if overdone.

Both tools help, but there’s a catch: students learn best when AI guides (e.g., hints for problem-solving) rather than completes tasks. Over-reliance can weaken critical thinking, and the papers stress using AI as a supplement to build skills, not replace effort.

Tip for Students: Use ChatGPT for quick explanations and Claude for analyzing longer texts, but always check answers to develop your own understanding. Teachers can use these tools to create lesson plans or quizzes, saving hours each week.

Could Uneven AI Access Widen Educational Gaps?

Yes—high-income regions’ diverse AI use contrasts with low-income areas’ focus on coding, risking disparities in learning opportunities.

• High vs. Low-Income Patterns: ChatGPT’s growth is fastest in middle-income countries, but low-income nations still lag, with educated users (bachelor’s degree or higher) benefiting most (48% work-related use). Claude’s data shows a strong link between income and usage (1% GDP increase = 0.7% higher usage). In low-income countries like India, coding dominates (50% vs. global 33%), while high-income areas use AI for education and science.
• Risk of Inequality: Wealthier regions gain broader productivity and learning benefits, potentially mirroring historical tech divides (e.g., electrification). The Anthropic report warns that “benefits of AI may concentrate in already-rich regions,” reversing global economic convergence. For students, this could mean less access to advanced tools in poorer schools, widening skill gaps.

Action for Educators: Advocate for free AI tiers and better internet access in underserved areas to ensure all students can benefit from tools like virtual tutoring.

Why Is Non-Work Usage So High, and Is Daily Life Use Growing?

Most AI use is non-work, especially for students, and it’s growing rapidly, transforming how we learn and live outside the classroom.

• Non-Work Dominance: ChatGPT’s non-work usage soared from 53% (June 2024) to 73% (June 2025), with daily messages hitting 2.5 billion. Young users drive this, using AI for learning (10.2%) or personal tasks like planning. Claude’s consumer use also leans non-work, with education (12.4%) and writing leading over enterprise automation.
• Growing Daily Life Impact: Both tools are increasingly used for everyday tasks—think study aids or creative writing. This creates “unmeasured value,” like time saved on homework, that traditional metrics like GDP miss. The OpenAI paper notes that non-work impacts, especially for home learning, may rival work productivity gains.

This trend means students can access tutoring anytime, anywhere, but it also highlights the need for guidance to avoid over-dependence. For teachers, it’s a chance to integrate AI into home assignments creatively.

What Does Doubling AI Use Mean for Education?

AI adoption doubled in U.S. workplaces (20% in 2023 to 40% in 2025), and ChatGPT’s weekly users doubled to 700 million in two years. This signals a revolution in how fast AI is entering classrooms.

Educational Impact: Teachers save time on tasks like lesson planning (e.g., 3+ hours weekly), and students get instant support. Claude’s educational tasks doubled in some areas, like creating instructional materials (0.2% to 1.5%). But rapid growth also means potential job shifts—automation could affect teaching roles if not paired with reskilling.

What It Means: Faster, personalized learning is possible, but schools must teach AI literacy to prepare students for an AI-driven world. The Anthropic report notes that “rapid improvement of frontier AI” fuels this speed, urging educators to adapt quickly.

Classroom Strategy: Use AI to enhance teaching, but train students to critically evaluate outputs to stay competitive.

How Are Coders Using AI?

For computer science students, AI is a game-changer, speeding up coding and learning.

ChatGPT for Coding: Coding falls under “Technical Help” (high among computer roles: 57% work-related). Students use it for quick scripts, bug fixes, or explanations, making it ideal for learning syntax or prototyping apps.

Claude’s Coding Edge: Coding is 36% of Claude’s usage, with program creation doubling (4.1% to 8.6%) and debugging dropping (16.1% to 13.3%). Students can delegate full programs, but Claude shines for complex projects due to its large context window.

Student Tip: Use ChatGPT for rapid coding practice and Claude for bigger projects, like refactoring code, to build skills efficiently.

How Are Enterprises Using AI?

Businesses automate tasks, which can inspire educational platforms to enhance learning.

• ChatGPT in Business: Work usage (27%) includes writing (40% of work messages) and data analysis, with enterprise integrations growing. Edtech platforms like Khan Academy use similar tech for personalized tutoring.
• Claude’s Enterprise Focus: API usage is 77% automation-driven, especially for coding and office tasks. Businesses prioritize capabilities over cost, but need better data systems for complex uses.

For schools, this means AI can automate grading or personalize lessons, freeing teachers for mentorship, but data privacy is key.

How Is AI Boosting Creativity?

AI sparks creativity for student projects, from essays to stories.

• ChatGPT’s Creative Tools: Writing (24% of usage) includes brainstorming stories or editing essays, with two-thirds of writing tasks refining user text. It’s great for generating ideas or outlines.
• Claude’s Writing Strength: Consumer use focuses on writing and research, with growth in editing tasks, especially in high-adoption areas.

Creative Tip: Students can use both for brainstorming (e.g., essay prompts) or refining drafts, but check for originality to avoid plagiarism.

Who’s Using AI, and Who Benefits?

• Users: ChatGPT’s 700 million users are young (46% aged 18-25) and educated (48% work use for graduates), with students and teachers using it for learning (10.2%). Claude’s users are U.S.-heavy, with consumers (education/writing) and enterprises (coding). Women’s usage has caught up (48% by June 2025).
• Beneficiaries: High-income, educated users gain most from diverse applications, like tutoring or creativity. Students in wealthier areas benefit from broader tools, while low-income students risk falling behind due to limited access.

Geographically, high-adoption areas (U.S., Singapore) see richer educational benefits, while low-adoption regions (India, Nigeria) focus on coding, potentially limiting learning scope.

Conclusion: AI’s Educational Promise

ChatGPT and Claude are transforming education, with 700 million users and doubling adoption making them essential for students (tutoring, coding) and teachers (planning, efficiency). Non-work dominance (73% for ChatGPT) and growing daily life use empower home learning, but disparities between high- and low-income regions demand action. Use free AI tools to enhance skills, integrate them thoughtfully, and advocate for equitable access to keep education inclusive.

Based on Anthropic Economic Index (Sept 2025) and OpenAI Economic Research on ChatGPT Usage (2025).

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