New report shows that teenagers are thinking carefully about AI’s role in school, but they still want clear guidance and support from teachers.
AI is becoming part of school life, but young people across the UK are not just using it unquestioningly. Instead, they are weighing up its benefits and the rules around when to use it.
What students think of AI
The Navigating AI in Education report by Oxford University Press surveyed almost 4,000 young people across the UK, including 3,100 students aged 13 to 18 – and carried out qualitative work with more than 700 students.
It found that the grey area around cheating remains a major issue: only 44% thought it was cheating to use AI to complete all of their homework, while 15% said they their school had given them enough guidance.
One of the stand-out findings is how thoughtful many students are about using AI. In the school-based task, 72% of students who had access to AI chose not to use it, and many said they preferred to express their own ideas rather than rely on a tool that could not think. Some students did use AI to organise their ideas, save time or improve spelling and grammar – showing that they are using it for practical purposes.
Teachers are valued
The report found that students value their teachers. More than three quarters would like their teachers to use AI in lessons, especially to make difficult material easier to understand or to speed up planning and feedback. However, 73% said that AI will not be able to replace their teacher’s empathy, personality or the ability to notice when someone is struggling.
Moving forward with AI
Students are already using AI but need more guidance on how to use it well. They also want help with prompting, checking outputs and understanding where AI can support their learning – and understanding when not to use it.
For schools, this means comprehensive staff training and guidance – and clear rules for AI use.
References
- Navigating AI in Education – Pupils’ perspectives on the role of AI in the classroom. Available at: https://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/oxed/research-reports/Navigating_AI_in_Education_Research_Report_June2026_v05.pdf (Accessed 9th June 2026)
