Rising Use of AI in Schools Comes With Big Downsides for Students
Teachers’ and students’ use of artificial intelligence in K-12 classrooms is increasing at a rapid pace, prompting serious concerns about the potentially negative effects on students, a new report concludes.
Eighty-five percent of teachers and 86% of students used AI in the 2024-25 school year, according to “Schools’ Embrace of AI Connected to Increased Risks,” a report released today by the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology.
One of the negative consequences AI is having on students is that it is hurting their ability to develop meaningful relationships with teachers, the report finds. Half of the students agree that using AI in class makes them feel less connected to their teachers. A decrease in peer-to-peer connections as a result of AI use is also a concern for teachers (47%) and parents (50%), according to the report.
Other big concerns also showed up in the results. Seventy percent of teachers worry that AI weakens critical thinking and research skills, according to the report. It draws from nationally representative surveys of public school teachers in grades 6-12, parents of students in grades 6-12, and students in grades 9-12, and was conducted between June and August.
“As many hype up the possibilities for AI to transform education, we cannot let the negative impact on students get lost in the shuffle,” said Elizabeth Laird, director of the equity in civic technology project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, in a press release.
“Our research shows AI use in schools comes with real risks, like large-scale data breaches, tech-fueled sexual harassment and bullying, and treating students unfairly,” Laird said. “Acknowledging those risks enables education leaders, policymakers, and communities to mount prevention and response efforts so that the positive uses of AI are not overshadowed by harm to students.”
Two ways to address the potentially negative effects are for schools to develop AI training and craft policies that put meaningful guardrails around its use, experts said.
