Preply Study Finds AI Is Expanding Learning—But Not Real-World Mastery

Preply says artificial intelligence has made professional learning faster and easier to access, but its first annual Progress Report suggests that access is not consistently translating into usable skills. The company surveyed 5,050 working professionals across nine countries and found that 88% use AI as part of their learning. Seventy-six percent reported spending more time learning than they did two years ago, while the average respondent used nearly three learning methods.

Yet greater activity did not necessarily produce greater confidence. Nearly half of respondents—49%—said they had maintained a learning routine for months but still struggled to apply the skill in real life. Another 52% said they were spending more time learning without always seeing better results, and 63% described themselves as busy learning without truly improving. Preply calls the disconnect the “Progress Gap”: the distance between progress experienced during learning and confidence using the skill in a real situation.

The survey shows how quickly AI has become part of the learning stack. Thirty-seven percent named AI tools as a primary learning method, ahead of employer training at 34% and online…