66 Percent of University Faculty Use Neural Networks in Their Work
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimental use and becoming a routine working tool in research and teaching environments. According to a survey, 66 percent of faculty members and researchers in Russia regularly use AI in their work. The study was conducted by the ITMO Center for Science Communication, Yandex Education and the Center for Technologies for Society at Yandex Cloud. It surveyed staff members from 16 Russian universities who combine teaching with research activity.
Today it is difficult to find someone who has never used artificial intelligence tools. AI assists with translation and text editing, searching for and evaluating information, performing mathematical calculations and generating programming code.
The ITMO Center for Science Communication, Yandex Education and the Center for Technologies for Society at Yandex Cloud conducted a survey among employees of 16 Russian universities and found that 83 percent of respondents use neural networks in their teaching activities. About 52 percent generate assignments, case studies and tests, 45 percent prepare presentations and visualize information, and 32 percent automate administrative tasks such as scheduling or drafting official correspondence.
Researchers also found that most participants delegate routine work to neural networks, freeing up time for research, analytical and methodological tasks. Many respondents report that artificial intelligence significantly accelerates key stages of research. Fifty-eight percent say neural networks help them prepare materials for classes.
Integrating AI Into Academic Work
Eighty-two percent of faculty members who participated in the survey integrate AI into their professional tasks. Around 54 percent analyze specialized texts and images with AI, 29 percent process large data sets and 31 percent use AI to generate charts and diagrams. In engineering and IT disciplines, neural networks are increasingly integrated into coding workflows. About 25 percent of respondents use them to generate and debug code, while 23 percent apply them for image, speech and symbol recognition.
AI is also increasingly used in research work. According to the survey, 69 percent rely on it for searching and analyzing scientific literature, 56 percent for working with texts and 47 percent for data analysis and visualization. Meanwhile, 52 percent use AI to generate assignments and tests, 45 percent prepare presentations and visualizations, and 32 percent automate administrative tasks.
Artificial intelligence is also applied in more specialized domains, including the development of new materials and chemical compounds, as well as modeling in social sciences, economics and the humanities.
Most scientists and educators, about 62 percent, learn how to use AI tools independently. Only 38 percent have received formal training. At the same time, roughly one-third of respondents say they expect universities to provide greater support in integrating AI into everyday workflows.
AI as a Driver of Digital Transformation in Universities
New digital technologies now allow scientists from different countries to collaborate on shared challenges, conduct large open experiments and share results in real time. Overall, modern digital tools – from blockchain systems used for certification and data storage to large-scale data analysis in research – are reshaping how universities teach and how science is conducted.
AI assistants for scientific research are already being developed. Researchers increasingly rely on AI to automatically analyze scientific publications, generate hypotheses and process large volumes of scientific data.
However, when respondents were asked whether AI helps revise hypotheses, reinterpret experimental results or provide fundamentally new perspectives on research itself, the vast majority answered no. Artificial intelligence cannot yet be considered a co-scientist. As an assistant, however, it has become a powerful tool for accelerating scientific work.
Key AI Trends in Science and Education
One major trend emerging with AI is the personalization of education. Artificial intelligence also enables the use of virtual environments and large-scale data analysis in learning systems.
Students can receive individualized learning plans tailored to their goals and progress. In this model, AI acts as a teaching assistant. It helps instructors prepare presentations, design assignments and even assess student work.
Another growing trend is the development of interactive 3D and virtual reality laboratories. Around the world, projects are turning classes into immersive environments where students can simulate experiments and design robots. Analysts expect the market for educational metaverse platforms to grow dramatically by 2030, partly because immersive environments can increase student engagement.
One of the key challenges for education systems is teaching people how to interact with AI responsibly, critically evaluate AI-generated information and establish clear norms for its use.
To fully understand the role that modern digital technologies play in education and science, it is important to analyze the broader environment in which they operate, including the tensions and challenges facing educational and research institutions as global technology trends reshape the sector and influence its development in Russia.
