Survey finds 64 percent of US teenagers are not taught about AI or encouraged to use it at school

A survey conducted by global non-profit youth organization Junior Achievement has found that nearly two-thirds of teenagers in the US say their school is not teaching them about AI or encouraging its use. 

Market researcher Big Village surveyed 1,008 children aged between 13 and 17 in July about their use of AI in school and found 42 percent have used AI to complete school assessments, up from 30 percent in 2024. 55 percent of teenagers surveyed considered using AI to do their homework to be cheating.

Despite the findings, 68 percent of teens said schools are doing a good job of preparing them for the jobs and careers of the future.

"AI is expected to transform the world of work in the coming years," comments Tim Greinert, President of Junior Achievement USA.

 "At Junior Achievement, we are committed to working with our partners in education, not just to emphasize AI literacy, but to promote those transferable skills and competencies, like creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and self-direction, needed to navigate what's to come."

Last year, a study conducted by Currys highlighted that while UK students are frequently using AI for studying, many students remain divided on whether using it is ethical. The study found that 67 percent of students believe AI benefits their studies, with 24 percent admitting to using AI tools to complete assignments. Despite this, 50 percent of students consider using AI to be lazy, and 41 percent feel that AI use is akin to cheating.