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Top Takeaways
- A majority of teens report using AI in their academics.
- Experts are concerned about the development of critical thinking skills.
- Education on AI could help students find a healthy balance.
From brainstorming essay ideas to checking math problems, teenagers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for help with their schoolwork. Roughly 7 in 10 teens use AI for academic support, according to a new survey from The Youth AI Safety Institute at Common Sense Media.
But many students also recognize a disadvantage: 39% of teens feel they are missing out on learning when they seek AI’s help on an assignment.
The survey of 1,017 American teens ages 13 and 17 highlights a challenge for schools as AI becomes a routine part of students’ lives.
“This is a moment where, in K-12 and in higher ed, we’ve got to ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing to equip students with the skills to navigate AI and use it effectively as a tool,’ ” former U.S. Secretary of Education John King said in an interview with EdSource. “And what are we doing to ensure that students are doing the intellectual work required for learning?”
Using AI
Most teens in the survey said they use AI for more than simply completing assignments. Sixty-three percent said they use it to get answers to schoolwork, and 25% said they use those answers as-is. Teens also reported using AI to brainstorm ideas for essays, get feedback on their writing and better understand schoolwork. Two-thirds said AI had helped them better understand what they were learning.
Yvette Renteria, the chief program officer at Common Sense Media, said that while students can use AI to get through a difficult problem more quickly, it doesn’t allow for the sharpening of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
“Educators embrace gray areas,” Renteria said. “That’s the beauty of learning.” AI, she said, isn’t able to do so in the same ways.
At the same time, nearly two-thirds of students said they first attempt to solve problems themselves or turn to someone for help.
“Now they have easy access at all times, so they don’t have to wait till the next day to ask their teacher,” Renteria said, adding that AI might be especially enticing for teens who don’t have a parent who is able to assist them with their schoolwork, as well as teens who feel increased pressure to excel.
Teens most commonly reported using general-purpose AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok. About 41%, however, said they used AI services such as Grammarly for support.
King said teachers should model how to use tools that are available, so students learn how to appropriately use them at home.
Schools also may need to rethink how they assess learning, King said, noting the importance of returning to blue book assessments, oral presentations and cold calling.
“As a teacher, we are subject matter experts at strategies to embrace critical thinking, to embrace curiosity, to embrace human connection, and I really feel like we should, as an education system, be leaning into those places,” Renteria said.
Learning to discern
While most teens are using AI for academic support, 70% of survey respondents said their teachers had never discussed how to use the technology safely.
Ashley Green, education technology manager for the Napa Valley Unified School District, said the district has not yet introduced AI lessons into their general curriculum. But students she has spoken with — particularly those who don’t use AI on a regular basis — have told her they would benefit from learning how to use it appropriately.
“These kids are saying, ‘Oh, we’re never going to use it because we’re so scared that we’re going to get in trouble,’ ” she said. “So then, I had conversations with them, like, ‘What if there were lessons around how to use it in an appropriate way, not to just say, “Write my paper for me.” ’ ”
In addition to the survey, Common Sense Media has introduced a free new curriculum for high school grades that includes lessons on AI as well as professional development for educators.
Renteria said their curriculum begins with younger students by exploring how technology can shape human interactions — say a Facetime call with a grandparent living far away — and how that feels. As a student gets older, they can be introduced to social media and influencer culture, and media literacy also comes into play.
Then, the curriculum will expand to discussing relationships with AI chatbots.
“I’m also equally optimistic that (students) get it,” Renteria said. “And we’ll figure this out if we can just continue to build the capacity of having these dialogs and allowing them to be the center of those decision-making processes that are happening.”
April 13, 2026
