Can AI save teachers from a crushing workload? There’s new evidence it might

A Gallup poll published Wednesday found that 30% of teachers are using AI weekly — and that it’s saving them “six weeks a year.”  

According to data from the 2024 to 2025 school year, 60% of K-12 teachers reported using some kind of AI tool in their work, most commonly to create worksheets or activities, personalize material to students’ needs, and prep lessons. The study did not specify which AI tools teachers were using, referring to “chatbots, adaptive learning systems, or other interactive AI platforms.” 

Also: The tasks college students are using Claude AI for most, according to Anthropic

The study, conducted by the Walton Foundation alongside Gallup from March 18 to April 11, sampled 2,232 teachers in public K-12 schools in the US. Researchers estimated time saving by half-hour depending on the task in question. 

That time saved — what the report calls an “AI dividend” — goes back to the student in the form of more attention and relationship building, according to the teachers surveyed. “Weekly AI users report reclaiming nearly six hours per week — equivalent to six weeks per year — which they reinvest in more personalized instruction, deeper student feedback and better parent communication,” the study said. 

What’s more, educators in the study reported that using AI made their work better: as much as 74% for admin tasks and 57% more for grading. That takeaway was even supported by student feedback — though 16% of teachers felt AI negatively impacted their work product. 

Also: AI agents arrive in US classrooms

The study found that AI tools also help bridge existing gaps in education. “57% of teachers agree […] that AI will improve the accessibility of learning materials for students with disabilities,” the report said, adding that “special education teachers are even more likely to agree AI will yield this benefit (65%).”

The report noted that these benefits only occur for regular users, however. Teachers using AI tools less than weekly saw a significant dropoff in time saved compared to more active users. 

Still, adoption is new: The research found that 40% of teachers don’t use AI at all, and just 19% of them said their school has an AI policy in place. Adoption also varied by school age. “While high school teachers are among the heaviest users of AI, they are also among those most likely to oppose the use of AI,” the report said.

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As other research has found, especially when it comes to AI in the workplace, access to the tools themselves is useless without proper training. “As AI tools grow more embedded in education, both teachers and students will need the training and support to use them effectively,” the report noted. It added that having an AI policy helps schools increase the amount of time saved.

Also: AI usage is stalling out at work from lack of education and support

However, the report also found that both teachers and Gen Z students are concerned about how using AI will impact their critical thinking skills and endurance in problem-solving — a growing concern somewhat confirmed by a recent MIT Media Lab study. 

Using AI “undeniably reduced the friction involved in answering participants’ questions,” the MIT study found. “However, this convenience came at a cognitive cost, diminishing users’ inclination to critically evaluate the LLM’s output or ‘opinions’ (probabilistic answers based on the training datasets).”

Anthropic’s Claude for Education AI tool, however, aims to promote critical thinking.  

Also: 6 free AI study hacks you can use to conquer finals week – with zero cheating

The report comes at a time when educators and administrators have been struggling to determine what role AI should play in education. The launch of ChatGPT alone in late 2022 left schools grappling with how to quickly adapt educational approaches to the rapidly changing and fast-spreading technology. 

Nevertheless, the findings are ultimately optimistic about how AI in schools can impact education. “If teachers have the resources they need to innovate with AI tools, the AI dividend has the potential to reach more teachers and students,” the study concluded. “As the 2025-26 school year approaches, AI tools could be a powerful force in reshaping teachers’ workload and, ultimately, student outcomes.”

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