Pupils concerned AI is harming ability to learn, research finds

Pupils fear that using AI is eroding their ability to study, with many complaining it makes schoolwork "too easy", limits creativity and stops them learning new skills, according to research.

- Richard Adams Education editor

The report on the use of AI in UK schools, commissioned by Oxford University Press (OUP), found that just 2% of students aged between 13 and 18 said they did not use AI for their schoolwork, while 80% said they regularly used it.

Despite Al's widespread use, 62% of the students said it has had a negative impact on their skills and development at school, while one in four agreed the technology "makes it too easy for me to find the answers without doing the work myself".

A further 12% said AI "limits my creative thinking", while similar numbers said they were less likely to solve problems or write creatively.

Alexandra Tomescu, OUP's generative Al and machine learning product specialist, said the study was among the first to look at how young people in the UK were incorporating AI into their education.