Artificial intelligence is already part of the daily routine of 80% of professional school teachers in Brazil

A survey conducted in September 2025 with 308 teachers from a large national professional education network found that eight out of ten already use artificial intelligence in their daily lives. The research, conducted by the Imagine Brazil initiative of the Dom Cabral Foundation, shows that 83.4% of respondents say they research, learn and apply the technology in their professional activities.

How educators are using the technology

The study analysed usage habits and found that 7.5% of participants were familiar with AI but did not yet use it regularly, while 8.8% felt they had not mastered the skills needed to use it. The most commonly cited platforms were general-purpose ones: ChatGPT (54.9%), Gemini (52.6%) and Copilot (35.7%).

Most applications are concentrated in the teaching preparation stages. Study and research activities account for 36.7% of cases, followed by lesson planning (26.6%) and the production of teaching materials (18.2%). Formal student assessment appears much less frequently. A typical example is an electronics teacher who asks an AI assistant for a list of exercises with increasing levels of difficulty, but continues to define the evaluation criteria alone.

Factors driving adoption

The research used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to explain the reasons behind adoption. The most important factor was performance expectancy, i.e. the belief that the tool improves work efficiency. The second most important factor was the influence of colleagues, while ease of use had the least impact.

Peer collaboration has a concrete basis: 54.9% of teachers report sharing resources and experiences about AI with their colleagues.

Access to the tool is not enough

The study also shows that the availability of access, licences and technical support does not directly influence the decision to use AI. These elements affect the perception of usefulness and simplicity, but offering the technology does not guarantee its adoption. For educators to incorporate AI, institutions need to demonstrate concrete gains in daily work.

A Microsoft report, the Work Trend Index 2026, cited by Olhar Digital, corroborates this view. Organisational factors, such as institutional culture and leadership support, have more than twice the impact on AI adoption than individual factors. In Brazil, 72% of professionals say they now perform tasks they did not perform a year ago thanks to technology, compared to 58% globally.

What the data reveals about teacher training

The authors conclude that the main obstacle to the transition is not of a technological nature, but rather of professional meaning and legitimacy. Teachers adopt AI when they perceive practical value in it and observe that their peers have reached the same conclusion. For continuing education, this suggests the need for courses that present real cases from one’s own field and for spaces for exchange between colleagues.

However, there are limitations. The survey covers a single network at a specific time and measures declared intent to use, not observed behaviour. Currently, adoption is progressing through individual experimentation before formal policies are established. Issues such as transparency, privacy and integrity will require clear institutional guidelines for the responsible use of technology.