Conversations Help Young People Navigate AI's Complexities

Kids and teens are proving to be early adopters of generative AI. Our research finds that 7 in 10 youth have already used at least one type of generative AI tool. As with the early days of social media, young people are jumping in to play with and learn about gen AI on their own, while their caregivers and educators struggle to keep up.

Our new study, "The Dawn of the AI Era: Teens, Parents, and the Adoption of Generative AI at Home and School," explores how young people and parents are using generative AI, as well as their perceptions around it. The nationally representative study of more than 1,000 teens and their parent or guardian uncovers trends in generative AI use among a diverse range of young people and their parents, including why and how teens use AI, how AI is being integrated in—or banned from—schoolwork, how schools and teachers are talking about AI with students and parents, and how young AI users believe these new platforms will shape their future schooling and jobs. Here are some highlights:

Young people are using generative AI mostly for homework and school-related tasks, but often also just to play around and fill time.

• Teens are using generative AI mostly for homework help and other school-centric uses like translation and brainstorming. But less formal uses like just killing time are also common. More than half (51%) say they have used chatbots or text generators, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Snap's MyAI, and 11% of teens report daily use of these products.
• Four in 10 teens have already used these tools to help with school assignments.
• And nearly as many (42%) say they use generative AI to stave off boredom.

Teens report several personal activities supported by generative AI, including preventing boredom and loneliness, planning activities, creating content as a joke or to tease someone, creating new content using someone else's voice or image, and seeking personal or health advice.

But while teens are actively using generative AI, half of parents aren't talking about gen AI with their kids at all.

While most parents and caregivers (87%) have heard at least "a little" about generative AI, there are significant gaps in their awareness of their teens' gen AI use.

• Only 37% of parents whose teen said they had used generative AI were aware that their child had used it.
• About one in four (23%) parents believed their teen had not used any of these platforms—even though the teens had.
• Almost half of parents (49%) say they have not talked about generative AI with their families.

Schools are struggling to keep pace with how these technologies affect teaching, learning, and classroom dynamics.

Teens are actively using gen AI for schoolwork, but not always with their teacher's permission. And overall, at schools, the policies and curriculum for generative AI are not fully developed.

• Four in 10 teens say their school doesn't have rules yet about how generative AI can be used. More than a quarter of teens say their teacher hasn't mentioned generative AI.
• Most parents (83%) say that schools have not communicated with families about generative AI.
• About two in five (41%) teens who used generative AI to help with schoolwork did the most recent assignment with their teacher's permission. But almost the same proportion of teens, 46%, used AI for the assignment without the teacher's permission.
• Black teens were more than twice as likely as White or Latino teens to say that teachers flagged their schoolwork as being created by generative AI when it was not (20% vs. 7% and 10%).

Kids and teens will be better equipped if we have more conversations about generative AI.

One clear finding from our research is how open channels of communication can impact how young people and parents feel about the promises and pitfalls of generative AI for education, learning, and future opportunities.

Talking about generative AI in the classroom can help teens have more nuanced views about the usefulness and challenges of generative AI. In schools where generative AI has been discussed, young people are generally more optimistic about its possibilities.

Parents of Black teens are especially optimistic about the role of generative AI in reducing educational inequalities. And compared with White teens, Black and Latino youth are more likely to say that the introduction of generative AI has changed how they think about their future.

More communication with kids and teens around generative AI:

• Better prepares them to use gen AI tools in a responsible, discerning way—recognizing their limitations and potential to provide inaccurate information.
• Makes them more aware of the potential for bias with generative AI and that disparities may be exacerbated with its use.
• Opens them up to the opportunities of generative AI, including learning AI-related skills, new career paths, and how technology can change society.

It's clear that young people want to learn about generative AI and develop related skills. School guidelines and policies can help ensure that students understand acceptable use and are treated equitably related to their use of AI tools. We can also leverage the power of communication and open dialogue among young people, parents, caregivers, and educators so together we can empower young people to thrive.

Please also see our complementary white paper, "Generative AI in K–12 Education: Opportunities and Challenges," for additional background on factors and issues faced by school districts, administrators, educators, and families in making AI available in the classroom, as well as recommendations and guidelines for the use of AI in schools.