AI use among UK teachers doubles, but working hours still don’t come down
Around 80 per cent of UK teachers now regularly use AI, roughly double the level a year earlier, but most say it has not reduced their working hours. The findings cast doubt on whether wider AI adoption alone can ease teacher workload, despite a £23 million government trial intended to improve outcomes and cut administrative burdens.
In a YouGov survey of 1,033 teachers, 51 per cent of AI users said it had reduced their workload, yet only 35 per cent reported working fewer hours; 55 per cent worked the same hours and 4 per cent more. Teachers mainly use AI for lesson materials, while relatively few use it for marking, and 71 per cent of secondary teachers said it has made pupil cheating easier.
- AI use among UK teachers has doubled.
- Most users report no reduction in working hours.
- Teachers also report increased concerns about AI-assisted cheating.
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Teachers in the UK spend time preparing lessons, marking pupils’ work and handling administrative tasks alongside classroom teaching. Artificial intelligence tools can generate or adapt text and other materials, and schools are exploring whether they can help with these tasks.
The Department for Education is running a £23 million trial to examine how AI might support teaching and reduce administrative work. Teachers and school leaders are among those deciding how these tools are used, while pupils may also encounter them in schoolwork.
Whether AI saves time depends on how teachers use it and whether schools change their working practices. Its use also raises questions about how pupils complete assignments and how teachers assess their work.
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The case for
Wider AI use may still ease teachers’ workload even if it has not yet reduced their hours: many users report that it has reduced workload, and tools for preparing lesson materials could save time or improve teaching. The government trial may help establish which uses work best and whether saved time can be converted into better outcomes or lighter administrative demands.
The case against
The survey suggests that adoption alone has not delivered a clear reduction in teachers’ working hours: most respondents reported working the same hours, and few use AI for marking, a potentially time-consuming task. If AI also makes pupil cheating easier, schools may face new costs in checking work and protecting assessment standards, which could offset any efficiencies.