Common Sense Media survey: 70% of US teens use AI for schoolwork, 63% of them to get answers

A new survey from Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute found that 70% of teenagers use AI for schoolwork, and 63% of those teens use it to get answers directly. Among teens using AI for schoolwork, 77% use it for brainstorming, writing feedback or checking answers, about 40% use reading or writing assistants, and 10% turn to AI first when stuck. More than a third of teens do not understand their school's AI rules, and 28% say rules vary a lot from teacher to teacher.

The survey provides verifiable baseline data for schools drafting AI rules and AI literacy curricula: most teens already use AI for schoolwork, yet more than a third do not understand school rules, 28% face inconsistent teacher requirements, 44% have never had a teacher discuss when to use AI, and 30% have never had a class discussion about AI safety. This policy and teaching gap leaves students to work out boundaries themselves, directly affecting how assignments are completed and how critical thinking is practiced, and shaping whether school-purchased AI tools can be used under clear rules. The findings are self-reported and include no independent measure of learning outcomes, so they cannot support causal claims about grades or thinking skills. Schools need to move AI rules from teacher-by-teacher discretion to unified policies that can be explained to students, or students will remain in an unclear gray zone. Demand for AI literacy curricula and teacher training rises; tool vendors that ship products without usage norms will see adoption constrained by inconsistent teacher rules.