AI is completely transforming education as we know it, from how students learn to how teachers teach to how schools operate. One global survey found that 86% of students use AI tools to do their work, while about 25% said they do so daily. It’s safe to say that society has reached a turning point when it comes to the presence of AI tools and creations in our daily lives, but users are still working to understand how best to implement it, especially when it comes to learning. Education, in particular, remains a controversial arena for AI, with educators raising concerns about cheating, stymied development of critical thinking skills, and incorrect information. Nevertheless, OpenAI’s recent promotion offering free access to ChatGPT Plus for college students in the United States and Canada attempted to show students the way.
The promotion, which lasted from April 1 to May 31, 2025, took a multi pronged marketing approach to appeal to students preparing for their end-of-semester exams. Billboards, podcast ads, digital ads, and collaborative social media posts demonstrated how users can prompt the software for assets like study guides, summaries, flash cards, and other “hacks” to get through finals. We used our social listening and analytics solution to examine the campaign’s impact on social media conversation and see what it can teach marketers about this moment in the new era of AI.
How big was the online buzz about ChatGPT during final exams 2025?
Mentions of ChatGPT and “exams” and related keywords on social media April 1 to May 31.
Over the past two months (from April 1 to May 31), there were about 6,800 mentions of ChatGPT and exams and related keywords across 17 social media channels including X, Reddit, Bluesky, and Pinterest. This represents a 134% increase compared to the two months prior, meaning that the discussion has grown significantly. By comparison, overall mentions of ChatGPT increased by 36% in that same time period, a meaningful jump but nowhere as high as the exams-focused conversation.
The first spike in ChatGPT/exams mentions came on April 3, as news of the promotion spread online via prominent news articles. One published day on the Forbes website is estimated to have reached about 76.1 million readers. More high-profile coverage came the following day on April 4, with a The Economic Times article that reached an estimated 15.1 million people, and three separate MSN.com articles that reached about 119 million readers each. However, the biggest mention spike occurred on May 27, at the tail end of the promotion, as discourse on the topic took off on two separate platforms. On X, one post expressing disapproval of the use of ChatGPT, and generative AI in general, for exams prompted hundreds of engagement actions. And over on Reddit, two questions about the use of ChatGPT for exams and in the workplace prompted hundreds of responses.
So did the ChatGPT promotion result in increased buzz online? According to the data, absolutely, though it did not get the reaction some AI in education enthusiasts might have hoped for.
How do social media users feel about ChatGPT and exams?
Sentiment of mentions of ChatGPT and “exams” and related keywords on social media April 1 to May 31.
As the above volume spikes hint, though the conversation has grown, it hasn’t focused on the campaign’s vision of AI as a helpful learning tool. The overall social media buzz about ChatGPT and exams during April and May was significantly critical, with more than 1 in 4 mentions having negative sentiment.
Mentions of ChatGPT and “exams” and related keywords on social media April 1 to May 31 split by sentiment.
For example, the most engaged post of the conversation was a negative one posted on Bluesky. Written by a college professor, the post sparked a flurry of discussion (including other educators) focused on the potential risks of student reliance on AI tools.
On the flip side, the most engaged positive mentions about ChatGPT and exams came from students praising the promotion as well as the software’s effectiveness. Still, though, there were less than half as many positive mentions for every negative one. So how does social media feel about ChatGPT and exams? Overall, apprehensive.
Takeaways for marketers
Cheating overshadows the potential benefits of generative AI for exam prep. Our analysis of ChatGPT’s college finals promotion revealed just how prominent concerns about cheating and inhibited learning are in social media discussions of ChatGPT and exams. Though OpenAI’s finals campaign highlighted assistive ways to use the platform, that narrative didn’t meaningfully pull through. The question of cheating is a big one hanging over AI and LLM companies looking to win over educators and students. In the future, sidestepping or ignoring that concern within this sector is likely to backfire.
Students and educators are divided. No surprise here. For many Gen Z and Gen Alpha students, using AI-powered tools is a given, while many teachers see it as the downfall of education as we know it. Until the AI-forward generations become teachers themselves, many AI tools will have a hard time winning educators over without demonstrating how they can aid learning, encourage critical thinking, and provide accurate information.
Bluesky is an emerging venue for discussions about higher education. The buzz this promotion generated on Bluesky suggests that there is an engaged higher education audience on the platform. Marketers in and around the education sector should take a closer look at this platform to identify emerging narratives, trends, and thought leaders.
