Whether it’s about its potential to ease teachers’ workloads, reinvigorate assessment practices, provide shortcuts to learning or redefine teachers’ roles, artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most debated topics in education.
Yet one voice is often missing from this conversation: that of the student.
Our new research, based on a quantitative survey of 3,100 students aged 13–18 from across the UK, and a qualitative study of just over 700 students across 20 schools nationwide, aims to bridge this gap.
The research explores when and how young people are using AI, what support they want from schools, and how they think AI should fit into their education.
When are students using AI?
AI use is already widespread among young people, but many remain unclear about when its use is appropriate, and what constitutes cheating.
Four in ten (44%) think it is cheating when AI completes all of their homework. Almost one in five think it is cheating to ask an AI tool questions if they don’t understand something (19%) or for ideas or tips to help with their homework (18%).
Overall, only 15% of the young people we surveyed stated they have been given enough guidance at school on how to use AI tools appropriately for their work.
Taken together, these results suggest that one of the biggest challenges schools face is helping pupils understand when and how AI can be used appropriately.
Is AI a go-to tool for students?
In our qualitative study, we offered students the option of using AI to complete a written task without restrictions.
One of the most surprising findings was that of those who had access to AI, almost three quarters (72%) decided not to use it. Those who opted to use it, did so for a variety of reasons, from improving their writing to helping organise their thinking.
These results highlight that AI use for schoolwork is far from being a default for all teenagers, and that using it is not always because they don’t want to do the work!
Moreover, when we asked pupils what helps them learn more effectively when using AI, the majority expressed preferences for AI tools that:
- suggested tasks they can do to help increase their understanding of the subject (44%)
- asked them questions to help them reach the answer on their own (41%).
Only one in five students (22%) wanted the AI tool to provide them with an answer straight away. Encouragingly, these preferences align closely with established learning principles: understanding develops though thinking, questioning and practice rather than receiving ready-made, fully formed answers.
The irreplaceable teacher
Perhaps the most striking finding was that 73% of pupils identified skills their teachers possess that AI could never replace. These included empathy, noticing when a student is struggling, adapting explanations, and bringing their subject to life.
At a time when much of the public discourse focuses on what AI can do, pupils appear equally aware of what it cannot do. This suggests pupils reject the idea that more capable AI will reduce the importance of teachers and their role.
The human touch
While pupils value AI tools’ ability to provide explanations, support independent study and make learning more accessible, they also recognise that motivation, encouragement, professional judgment and human relationships remain central to learning.
Far from seeing AI as a substitute for teachers, many students appear to view technology as most valuable when it enhances the support teachers already provide. For example, pupils expressed enthusiasm for teachers using AI to make complex concepts easier to understand (25%), plan fun lessons (18%) and create more opportunities for individual support (13%).
What does this mean for school leaders?
Embracing AI and protecting the human aspects of education is often presented as a choice for schools; our research suggests pupils do not see it as an ‘either/or’ proposition. Instead, they appear to want schools to help them use AI purposefully and responsibly, while preserving the human relationships that are key to effective learning.
For school leaders, perhaps the most important finding from this research is that young people already have more sophisticated views about AI than we sometimes assume. They are not simply embracing it uncritically, nor rejecting it outright.
The challenge for schools lies in recognising this nuance. They will need to provide clearer guidance on appropriate use and help pupils build on their understanding. And leaders will need to support both students and teachers to use AI in ways that strengthen learning while preserving the human relationships pupils themselves value most.
Alexandra Tomescu is the Head of Product AI at Oxford University Press, working on enabling teachers and students to make the most of AI in the classroom.
