Students Embrace Ai As Schools Tread Carefully Financial Times

New survey data finds that nearly 1 in 5 high schoolers say they or someone they know has had a romantic relationship with artificial intelligence. And 42% of students surveyed say they or someone they know have used AI for companionship. That's according to new research from the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a nonprofit that advocates for civil rights, civil liberties and responsible use of data and technology. CDT conducted national surveys of roughly 800 sixth through 12th grade public school teachers, 1,000 ninth through 12th grade students and 1,000 parents. The vast majority — 86% of students, 85% of educators and 75% of parents — say they used AI during the last school year. CDT's Elizabeth Laird, one of the authors of the report, says the surveys showed some strong correlations.

Among them: "The more ways that a student reports that their school uses AI, the more likely they are to report things like 'I know someone who considers AI to be a friend,' 'I... October 8, 2025 / Elizabeth Laird, Maddy Dwyer, Hannah Quay-de la Vallee Artificial intelligence (AI) has continued to alter the educational experiences of teachers, students, and parents during the 2024-25 school year. The frequency and variety of AI uses continues to grow; at the same time, the increased use of AI in educational settings is correlated with heightened risks to students. This report details the current status of AI use in schools along with four emerging risks associated with this technology, all of which increase the more that a school uses AI: Additional topics covered in this report include AI literacy, deepfake non-consensual intimate imagery, student activity monitoring, privacy issues related to transgender and immigrant students, and more.

Identifying the concrete risks that accompany the use of AI in schools enables education leaders, policymakers, and communities to mount prevention and response efforts so that the positive uses of AI are not overshadowed... Explore the slide deck on the research findings. Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Young people see value in greater use of artificial intelligence in schools and their lives, but want tougher rules to protect privacy, ensure equitable access, and mitigate its effect on climate change, according to... Youth Talks, run by the Swiss-based Higher Education for Good Foundation, used AI to solicit, translate, and summarise the views of people aged 15-29 around the world in April and early May this year. In total, they gathered more than 1,000 responses.

The highest volume of comments related to data protection and privacy concerns. One participant, Floribert, said: “Private information can be compromised through an attack against an AI system . . . [and] AI, itself, can be used as a tool to collect private data about individuals.” Others raised worries over the risks of surveillance and profiling with the technology.

Geo said: “AI might track attendance and classroom engagement, but that same data can be used to monitor students’ social interactions.” Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. At the Shenzhen College of International Education, a group of teenage students planning to attend universities abroad explain how generative artificial intelligence helps them with their work. Anita says the tool helps explain ideas she is studying while Lucienne uses it for research. Their enthusiasm lays bare a growing challenge for education at all levels: whether the use of AI by students and researchers should be restricted, grudgingly accepted or even actively encouraged. What is clear is that use of AI is growing quickly.

A recent survey by the College Board — a non-profit which organises exams in the US — suggested the share of high school students using generative AI for schoolwork increased from 79 per cent... In a study conducted by Oxford University Press in August, four-fifths of students aged 13 to 18 across the UK said they used AI tools in their schoolwork. Research for the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute showed the proportion of students using generative AI for assessments jumped from 53 per cent last year to 88 per cent in 2025. Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. For many years, and despite the hype, “artificial intelligence” was neither: behind the “artificial” digital façade there was frequently tight human control; while the “intelligence” offered was often lacking in inspiration or wisdom. But, in recent months, AI has proved more fundamentally disruptive.

ChatGPT, the chatbot that is the most high-profile example of generative AI, is becoming embedded in education and the world of work, alike. While teachers debate its applications and implications, students are already extensively experimenting; while executives are rushing to understand it, employees are deploying it widely. Some schools and universities have sought to ban or tightly restrict GenAI while others have embraced it, from essay preparation to final exams. Many have established boundaries, including transparency in where and how it is used. But all recognise its potential and the pragmatic reality of preparing students for a world in which its applications are becoming widespread. This special report, which is part of the FT’s free access programme for schools, explores multiple aspects of AI through articles and interactive features: how the technology works; how it is being applied in...

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