The Californer - AI Adoption Accelerates in Higher Education, Prompting Need for Practical Applications

Trending...

As institutions move to implementation, universities are adopting real-time solutions like Wordly to enhance comprehension and engagement

LOS ALTOS, Calif. - Californer -- New research from the Gallup State of Higher Education survey and a large-scale California State University study shows that 57% of students use artificial intelligence (AI) tools at least weekly. More than half also report that their institutions lack clear guidance or have unclear policies on AI use in academic settings, highlighting a growing gap between student adoption and institutional readiness.

As colleges and universities move from experimentation to implementation, they are increasingly adopting practical AI solutions like Wordly, the real-time AI translation and captioning platform for classrooms and events that enables students to follow and participate more fully in course content, regardless of language background.

One area where this shift is becoming most visible is in efforts to improve comprehension and participation during lectures, events, and discussions, particularly across increasingly diverse and multilingual campus environments. For example, the University of Southern California uses real-time AI translation and captioning to support orientation sessions for international students and families, helping participants access information and engage in multiple languages during campus events.

More on The Californer

"Higher education is entering a new phase where AI is becoming more operational," said Lakshman Rathnam, Founder and CEO of Wordly. "With more than one million international students in the United States and a growing number of multilingual learners, colleges are increasingly focused on ensuring all students can fully participate in the learning experience. More than half of students also report that their classes lack clear guidance on AI use, underscoring the need for clearer strategies as institutions adopt these technologies. Real-time translation and captioning are practical examples of how AI can directly improve access and participation in today's diverse classrooms."

By providing real-time translation and captioning, Wordly helps students engage with course material in their preferred language, supporting more inclusive and accessible learning environments.

Read the full Gallup State of Higher Education survey (https://www.gallup.com/analytics/644939/state-of-higher-education.aspx) and California State University study (https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/CSU-Releases-Largest-and-Most-Comprehensive-Survey-on-Artificial-Intelligence-in-Higher-Education.aspx).

More on The Californer

About Wordly: Wordly is the pioneer and leader in AI translation, providing real-time translation, live captions, transcripts, and AI-generated summaries for meetings and events. A 2025 Inc. 5000 company, Wordly is trusted by thousands of organizations across corporate, nonprofit, government, education, and association sectors. It helps make global communication more inclusive, accessible, and actionable. Learn more at www.wordly.ai.