- European and British students use AI to organize and be productive instead of cheating
- Lenovo Reports Students Using Tablets More as They Look for Cheaper Laptop Options
- Universities may be becoming more accepting of AI as students report more encouragement
Almost all (98%) European students aged 18 to 25 now say that artificial intelligence helps them in some way, and new data from Lenovo reveals that despite prejudices from other age groups, young people could actually be using it as a support, rather than cheating.
Note-taking (73%), summarizing (73%), and brainstorming (72%) offer nearly identical use cases, and technology is largely seen as a supporting layer to help students stay organized, manage workloads, and stay focused.
Ultimately, the research concludes that AI is being integrated into learning as a means to help students process information more efficiently, rather than bypassing learning altogether, and marks an important shift in perception that could influence how universities and other institutions regulate the technology.
How are European and British students using AI?
Among UK students specifically, 79% use AI note-taking tools, 79% use handwriting-to-text tools, 78% use AI summarization tools, and 78% use idea generation tools, all at least weekly.
In fact, British students are generally more positive than their European counterparts when it comes to the role of AI in generating ideas, helping them feel prepared, working more efficiently, feeling more in control and staying focused, Lenovo found.
Furthermore, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that 95% of UK students now use AI in some way, which is a significant jump compared to 2024 (66%). Again, use cases encompass explaining difficult concepts (61%), summarizing academic sources (49%), and searching for information online (36%)—all aids to administrative productivity and not substitutes for education.
While students take class notes, convert handwritten notes into documents, and organize information, Lenovo says the biggest impact of AI is actually reducing administrative and organizational burdens.
These discoveries come at an important time in the evolution of education, when many universities, colleges and schools are deeply considering how AI should be used and regulated. But Lenovo maintains that creativity is still human-driven and that fewer administrative tasks could actually free up more of students’ time to produce higher-quality work.
And HEPI found that universities are starting to adapt, or at least in the UK. Now, about 36% of students feel their university encourages the use of AI, up from 28% last year.
Students could be driving a surge in tablet sales, at least for Lenovo
As for its preferred devices, Lenovo also says that tablets are becoming more common. According to the data, 94% of students say that a tablet is or would be useful in all aspects of student life. Beyond education, the report shows how students would consider a tablet over a TV if the display and audio quality were comparable.
“For Generation Z, creativity can strike at any time of the day, so they need tablets that are intuitive and supportive, helping them stay in that creative flow for as long as possible,” added Alberto Spinelli, European and META marketing director.
This trend could be influenced by current supply chain tensions and the recent introduction of more powerful AI PCs, driving up prices across the board.
Lenovo accounted for about 8.2% of the tablet market during the first three months of 2026 (according to Omdia) and saw a 20% increase in shipments year over year, but the company’s analysts warn that the tablet market is not growing much at all. The market grew just 0.1% in the first quarter, compared to 3.2% growth within the global PC market.
“With supply chain pressures still mounting, the modest first-quarter growth is likely to mark the high point of the year,” senior analyst Ben Yeh warned, hinting that consumers could aim for cheaper devices (potentially including tablets) or delay upgrades altogether.
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