Most AI-in-education headlines focus on students. But a recent report from Anthropic flips the script: what happens when faculty start using generative AI (GenAI) at scale?

Drawing from 74,000 anonymized conversations and a partnership with Northeastern University, the report offers a rare look at how educators, and not just students, are integrating AI into their work. The full report is worth reading: Anthropic Education Report.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• AI is showing up across the academic stack. Faculty are using it to draft grant proposals, build interactive learning tools, advise students, manage admissions, and translate complex ideas. It’s not just about grading or writing syllabi anymore. A breakdown:
  • Curriculum development (57%) leads the pack—57% of the AI-faculty convos involve designing class material. Things like syllabi, lesson plans, and concept explanations all get a bit of polish from GenAI. 
  • Academic research (13%) comes next, as faculty use GenAI to track ideas, scan literature, or frame arguments.
  • Assessing student performance (7%) lands third—still notable, given the recurring worry about offloading grading.
• Automation is strategic. Educators tend to automate the tedious parts—budgets, meeting prep, record-keeping—while keeping human judgment front and center for teaching and advising. Most teaching tasks were collaborative (AI as co-pilot), while financial tasks leaned toward automation (AI as autopilot).
• Faculty are building tools, not just chatting. From chemistry simulations to recommendation letter templates, educators are using AI to create resources that would’ve taken hours—or required technical help—to build manually.
• AI is becoming a creative partner. Faculty describe it as a “collaborative thought partner” that helps explain concepts, personalize learning, and make previously time-intensive tasks feasible.

For higher ed leaders, the message is clear: generative AI isn’t just a student issue—it’s a faculty opportunity. The challenge now is to move from experimentation to intentional strategy, with support, governance, and alignment to institutional values.