Who could have guessed that when you give millions of kids free access to a homework-writing chatbot, they’ll stop writing their essays?
according to new research From the Pew Research Center, the number of kids automating school assignments now is staggering. At this point, 57 percent of kids are using chatbots to find information, while 54 percent say they use AI to “help with homework” — a euphemism that can That means they’re using it as a tutor that enriches the learning, but in many cases it’s probably the kind of fraud that does nothing to prepare them for higher education or the job market.
And who could blame them? They are being bombarded with the message that AI is set to take over almost all jobs, and especially any job requiring intellectual labor that schools are attempting to prepare them for – a drumbeat that has depressing psychological effects on adults, and likely the same on children.
The survey, which included teens aged 13 to 17, found that 10 percent of all respondents reported using AI for “all or most of their homework.” There are 44 percent reporting using AI “a little” or “some” for coursework, while students who do not use chatbots for homework are now a minority at 45 percent.
When asked how they are using chatbots, four out of every ten teens who use AI for school said they use it to do research or find answers to math problems. According to Pew, about a quarter said they were “extremely” or “very helpful” to completing school work, while another 25 percent said they were “somewhat helpful.”
The findings show that AI has a staggering hold on the student population in the US, especially as the federal stake K-12 Education Fund The 50-year decline continues.
One particularly sobering finding: Minority and low-income students are most likely to turn to AI solutions. According to the Pew study, 20 percent of children from households earning less than $30,000 a year reported doing “all or most” of their homework with the help of AI. Compare that to the 7 percent of kids whose households make more than $75,000, and the difference is stark.
Black and Hispanic teens are also 12 percent more likely The survey found that they are more likely than their white counterparts to do all or most of their schoolwork with AI chatbots.
This is a sad situation considering the undeniable cognitive and social impacts of AI dependency among young students. With AI companies making inroads into teachers’ unions and classrooms at an alarming rate, there’s no telling how — or whether — teachers will be able to navigate the new normal.
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