How Kids Are Using AI for Schoolwork

The tools available to students today would have felt like science fiction when we were at school. Understanding what's out there, and how children are actually using it, helps you guide them appropriately.

According to GoStudent's Future of Education Report 2025, 35% of UK students aged 10 to 16 use AI in school learning contexts, the highest among six European countries surveyed. The most common uses are writing support (35%), language learning (29%), maths (23%), and research (13%).

• Homework helpers like ChatGPT: Many students now turn to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots to explain tricky concepts, check their work, generate outlines, and sometimes write full assignments. The ease of access and strong responses make it tempting for children who are stuck.
• Writing assistants such as Grammarly: These go well beyond spell-check. They suggest different sentence structures, improve vocabulary, and polish writing until it looks far more refined. The line between a helpful edit and someone else doing the work can blur fast.
• Homework-helper apps for maths, science, and languages: Some let students take a photo of a maths equation and get the full solution. Others translate a passage, walk through a physics problem, or summarise a long reading. Some teach well, others just hand over answers without explanation.
• Essay-generators: These tools can turn a prompt into a full essay, complete with citations and structure, in minutes instead of hours. Often the result passes casual inspection but lacks insight or original thought.
• Research assistants: These summarise articles, extract key points, and generate bibliographies automatically. While that saves time, it can also stop students developing essential research and reading skills.

AI is accessible everywhere, school pressure is high, and many tools are built to do it for you by default. Kids can miss the line between learning and avoiding learning – which is why boundaries matter.

The Hidden Risks of AI in Education

AI can help, but when children use it without boundaries, real downsides appear. Knowing them helps you protect your child's learning while letting them benefit from AI's advantages.

1. The temptation to copy rather than learn

AI makes it easy for students to hand in polished work they didn't truly create. The bigger issue isn't just cheating, it's that they miss the chance to practise writing, problem-solving, and thinking for themselves.

Research from the National Literacy Trust found that while 64.8% of teachers believe AI can model good writing, 48.9% also agree it's likely to have a negative impact on children's writing skills.

Over time, those gaps show up in class discussions, exams, and confidence. When children realise they can't explain their work or perform under pressure, it damages their self-esteem. They start to doubt their abilities and, ironically, become even more dependent on AI. This can affect how AI impacts your child's mental health. GoStudent's research found that 21% of UK students admit using AI to help pass exams, and 16% admit to AI-written essays.

2. Over-trusting AI answers

AI often sounds right, even when it's wrong. It doesn't ‘know' facts, it predicts words based on patterns. That means it can produce confident, well-written nonsense.

The HEPI survey asked students about false information. 39% said AI rarely produces it and 30% said ‘quite often'. Only 12% now say ‘don't know', down from 35% in 2024. Students are more aware of AI's limits, but many still struggle to spot errors.

Unless children double-check what they read, they risk absorbing mistakes as truth. As AI advances, it's vital they learn what deepfakes are and how they work so they can tell when AI content might be misleading.

3. Built-in bias

Because AI learns from human-made content, it can repeat human biases around gender, culture, or history. When students take AI answers at face value, they may absorb one-sided views. Beyond bias in outputs, some children use AI to generate harmful content, which is why it's vital to know what to do if your child is bullied with AI.

Research from the National Education Association found language models still link certain jobs to gender. Stanford researchers showed that AI stories often portray struggling learners with marginalised names. Teaching kids to ask ‘Who might see this differently?' trains them to think critically.

4. Privacy and data collection

Most AI tools keep what users type. That can include assignment details, names, or personal reflections. Some companies even reuse this data to train models.

Privacy and the law (UK & US): In the UK, children's data is protected by UK GDPR and the ICO's Age-Appropriate Design Code. In the US, COPPA limits data from under-13s, while FERPA and PPRA govern student records and surveys.

Ask your child's school which AI or EdTech vendors they use, whether they comply with these laws, how long they keep data, and if student inputs train models.

According to New America's Open Technology Institute, the rise of EdTech has expanded both the type of data collected and the number of companies with access to it.

Children often don't realise that once something is entered into a chatbot, it may never truly disappear. If you're worried about what your child shares with AI chatbots, tell them not to share personal or school details and to use school-approved tools.

5. Replacing curiosity with convenience

The biggest risk isn't cheating, it's dependency. If AI becomes the default for homework, children lose the habit of wrestling with ideas. Aim for AI supporting effort – not replacing it.

How Schools Are Responding

Schools are reacting fast, trying to find balance between banning AI completely and using it as a learning tool. Policies vary widely, even within the same school, and teachers are still figuring out what works.

AI detection tools

Platforms like Turnitin and GPTZero aim to flag AI-written content. Teachers use them to check essays and assignments for signs of artificial writing patterns. But these systems often misfire. They can flag genuine student work as AI-written or miss content that's been lightly edited. This can create tension between teachers and students who feel wrongly accused.

Some students now use AI tools designed to hide AI writing. The result is an arms race between writing tools and detection tools, which distracts from real learning. Instead of focusing on understanding, students focus on how to avoid getting caught.

Teacher judgment still matters most

Many teachers use their knowledge of each student’s voice and ability to spot changes in tone or vocabulary. When a once-struggling student suddenly produces flawless essays, it raises questions. In most cases, teachers use this as a starting point for conversation, not punishment.

Different school approaches

Some schools ban AI completely. Others allow it for brainstorming or research but not for final submissions. A few now require students to disclose which tools they used and how. The most balanced approach treats AI like a calculator – useful for certain tasks, but not for doing the thinking itself.

Teaching AI literacy

The best schools are building AI literacy into their lessons. They show students how AI works, why it makes mistakes, and how to verify its outputs. This helps students see AI as a support, not a substitute. When students learn to question AI’s answers, they become stronger thinkers.

How Parents Can Support Safe AI Use

Parents play the most important role in shaping how children use AI at home. Schools can set rules, but it's your conversations and boundaries that make the biggest difference.

• Ask how your child uses AI. Don’t assume you already know. Ask open questions like, ‘Which tools do you use?' or ‘How does AI help with homework?' These small chats help you understand their habits before they become problems.
• Keep the conversation open. If children worry they’ll be punished for using AI, they’ll just hide it. Make it clear you’re not against the tools, just how they’re used. The goal is to help them use AI wisely, not secretly.
• Set clear rules. AI can explain, guide, and check work – but it shouldn’t complete it. Use simple rules like: ‘AI can help you understand, not write it for you.' Be specific. ‘Use it responsibly' means little to a child, but ‘Don’t paste full answers into ChatGPT' makes sense.
• Encourage checking facts. AI sometimes gets things wrong. Teach your child to double-check information using reliable sources before including it in their work. Doing this together once or twice builds the habit.
• Help them see the difference between learning and cheating. Using AI to understand a topic is fine. Using it to write the essay isn’t. Give real examples so the difference feels clear.

For more guidance on conversations about technology, see our article on how to talk to your kids about online safety.

Teaching Children About AI Risks

Children need to understand what AI can and can’t do. Simple, concrete explanations work better than general warnings about being careful online.

1. Explain how AI works. Tell them AI doesn’t ‘know' things – it predicts patterns from data. Try this analogy: ‘AI is like someone who’s read thousands of books but sometimes mixes them up.' That helps them grasp why AI can sound confident but still be wrong.
2. Talk about bias and misinformation. Explain that AI learns from human-created information, which can include stereotypes or one-sided views. Show them examples and ask, ‘Who might see this differently?'
3. Discuss privacy. Make sure they understand that anything they type into an AI tool might be stored. Teach them never to share names, personal thoughts, or school details unless it’s a school-approved platform.
4. Encourage them to ask for help. If AI ever gives a strange or uncomfortable response, they should know they can tell you. Reassure them you won’t ban all AI use, you’ll just look at it together.
5. Give examples. ‘If AI tells you something that contradicts your teacher or feels wrong, stop and ask me.' Real examples help children understand the line between safe and unsafe use.

For more detail, read our family guide on AI chatbots and the hidden dangers.

Safer AI Tools for Students

Not all AI tools are equal. Some are designed to support learning with safety features built in. Others are general-purpose tools that collect data and offer no child safeguards.

• Education-focused AI tools: Look for platforms designed for schools. Tools like Grammarly EDU or school-approved study apps usually limit what AI can do and prevent data collection beyond what’s needed.
• Interactive learning tools: These create study materials and practice questions that require real engagement rather than giving direct answers. This helps reinforce learning instead of skipping it.

Check for age and privacy compliance. Before approving a new app, read its privacy policy – even briefly. Look for:

• Clear statements about not selling student data
• Age restrictions and what happens to data from under-13s
• Details on whether user input trains AI models
• Data retention periods

Tools designed for schools tend to have stronger privacy rules than open AI platforms. When in doubt, stick with those recommended by your child’s school or education authority.

For broader advice on privacy, see our guide on how to use technology to keep your family safe.

Building AI Confidence Together

AI will be part of your child’s education for years to come. The best approach isn’t fear or avoidance, but shared learning and open conversation.

• Learn together. Explore tools side by side. Ask AI questions together, see how it responds, and talk about what it gets right and wrong. This turns AI from something mysterious into something you both understand.
• Experiment safely. Try to make AI fail on purpose – give it tricky or impossible questions. Showing children that AI can be wrong helps build healthy scepticism.
• Praise honesty over perfection. Children who feel pressured to produce flawless work are more likely to use AI secretly. Encourage honesty about how they use technology. Curiosity is a good sign, not a problem.
• Model your own AI use. Share times when AI has helped you and times when it hasn’t. It teaches balance and keeps AI in perspective.
• Keep the conversation going. Talk about AI as part of everyday life, not just schoolwork. When something new or strange comes up, ask what they think before giving advice. This builds independence and trust.

For more on guiding children through AI relationships, see our article on how to talk to your kids about AI friends.

AI can support real learning when children understand its limits and use it to think, not just to finish tasks faster. The goal isn’t to make children AI experts, but to help them judge when and how to use these tools wisely.

Parents don’t need to be tech experts to guide this. You just need to start the right conversations, ask questions, and set clear boundaries. Show curiosity, stay informed, and keep perspective – that’s what helps children build healthy digital habits.

The families managing AI best share a few traits. They talk regularly about AI use. They make expectations clear. They teach critical thinking and verify facts instead of banning tools completely. And they adapt their approach as both technology and their children grow.

As my daughters grow, I know AI will keep changing. The tools will evolve, but the values behind how we use them won’t. Curiosity, honesty, and independent thinking will always matter most. Start with one question this week: ‘Have you used ChatGPT or any other AI tool for homework? What did it help with, and how did you decide when to use it?' The answer will show whether you need clearer boundaries, better guidance, or simply to keep the good habits you’ve already built.

The goal is simple: help children use AI to learn, not lean on it. With honest conversations and steady boundaries, that balance is possible – and it’s one of the most valuable lessons they can carry into the future.