For decades, educators and policymakers have been focused on closing the digital divide by improving access to the devices and high-speed internet necessary for students to succeed in school. Although access continues to be a critical barrier for many students, research has shown that low-income and rural Americans have made significant gains in technology access and adoption. 

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However, the broad-scale introduction of generative AI technology poses a new barrier to equitable technology access. In the third edition of WGU Labs’ EdTech Survey, we asked students at nine diverse colleges and universities about their awareness and usage of ChatGPT. While 48% of continuing-generation students were aware of ChatGPT, just 34% of first-generation students were. And roughly 11% of continuing-generation students had used ChatGPT to help with their coursework, compared to just 7% of first-generation students. 

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Unless educators take steps to foster AI literacy among first-generation college students and other students from under-resourced communities, we risk once again leaving these groups behind and underprepared for the tech-enabled future. 

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The Cost of Leaving First-Generation Students Behind 

Many entry-level jobs will likely be replaced by AI, which will require entry-level college grads to arrive at the workplace with more skills, including knowledge of AI. According to OpenAI, 80% of Fortune 500 companies have already begun using ChatGPT since its rollout in late 2022. Unless all students are given the opportunity to learn and engage with these tools, learners from under-resourced communities will be left behind and unprepared for future careers in which effective utilization of AI tools will be an increasingly important skill.

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To build AI knowledge and skills among students from under-resourced communities, it is critical that institutions of higher education develop guidelines and policies for incorporating the use of AI into their curricula. However, in our latest EdTech Survey, 67% of higher education administrators told us their institution does not have a policy on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. Without formal guidance and education around the use of these tools, inequities in student knowledge and usage will likely persist.

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If first-generation learners do not have the AI skills needed to succeed in the workplace, they may be less likely to be hired or promoted than their peers, perpetuating the class divides that keep many from achieving financial milestones such as home ownership, sending their own kids to college, and saving for retirement. Addressing these equity gaps will take intentional action from institutional leaders and policymakers. 

Increasing AI literacy 

Rather than ignoring these tools or prohibiting their use, institutions must empower diverse groups of learners to engage with them in ways that enhance the learning experience. Previous research from WGU Labs has shown that students are more frequently using ChatGPT to simplify complex topics, brainstorm creative ideas, and conduct research rather than “cheat.” 

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Institutions should adopt policies that encourage these productive uses of AI, and faculty should explicitly incorporate these uses into their instruction. If, like many institutions, you don’t have a formal AI policy in place yet, look at examples from other institutions. As you establish your policy, be sure to include all relevant stakeholders — especially faculty — in the process. Once you have a policy in place, start experimenting with ways to incorporate AI into teaching. 

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Generative AI is not going away. Unless institutions empower all learners to effectively engage with these tools in ways that enhance their learning, this next-generation digital divide will continue to impact learners from under-resourced groups, further perpetuating and entrenching systemic inequities.  

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