Students Urge Schools to Teach AI Literacy

Project Tomorrow’s 2025-26 Speak Up National Report found that students are using AI for learning while much of their familiarity with the technology develops outside school. The report drew on more than 95,000 K-12 students, parents, educators and administrators from 1,023 schools nationwide. At a Wednesday webinar accompanying the report’s release, four middle and high school students described how technology supports their learning, the risks it presents and what schools could do to help them use it effectively.

The report found that 46 percent of high school students had learned about AI through independent experimentation, compared with 30 percent who said they learned about it in class. Students’ daily or weekly use of AI for studying and research rose from 23 percent in the 2023-24 school year to 40 percent in 2025-26. Over the same period, daily or weekly use for writing and idea generation increased from 21 percent to 29 percent. Project Tomorrow CEO Julie Evans said these patterns give schools an opportunity to teach students how to evaluate and use technology they already encounter on their own.

Students called for lessons on how AI produces answers and why those answers can be wrong. Tharun, a Pennsylvania high school senior, said students should learn where AI gets its information so they can judge whether to rely on it for research. He also said some classmates struggle with basic technology tasks, including managing files and troubleshooting errors. Jordan, an Alabama junior, said students need to recognize that AI-generated images, videos and written responses can be misleading or inaccurate.

Students also described using AI to understand coursework rather than complete assignments for them. Kennedy, an eighth grader in California, said she asks AI to rephrase unfamiliar concepts and help with difficult math problems, then compares its solutions with her own to find mistakes and understand the steps. In the survey, 48 percent of high school respondents wanted teachers to connect lessons to real-life situations, and an equal share wanted more chances to develop skills useful for future jobs. Another 44 percent wanted more self-paced learning, while 41 percent wanted teachers to seek and act on their suggestions for improving classes. Jordan described using Google Earth and ChatGPT in a ninth-grade geometry project to redesign his school courtyard to scale.

Teachers reported varying comfort with classroom technology: 11 percent felt very comfortable letting students use AI resources, and 35 percent felt very comfortable facilitating collaboration through digital tools. Fifty-six percent said digital tools helped personalize instruction, while 70 percent saw more interactive and participatory learning as a benefit of effective technology use. Students also recognized that technology can distract from learning and said clear rules and responsible use matter. Eloise called for rules to be enforced consistently, while Kennedy discussed her school’s cellphone restrictions. The students supported boundaries alongside opportunities to build digital literacy and learn how technology works.

Project Tomorrow’s 2025-26 Speak Up National Report found that students are using AI for learning while much of their familiarity with the technology develops outside school. The report drew on more than 95,000 K-12 students, parents, educators and administrators from 1,023 schools nationwide. At a Wednesday webinar accompanying the report’s release, four middle and high school students described how technology supports their learning, the risks it presents and what schools could do to help them use it effectively.

The report found that 46 percent of high school students had learned about AI through independent experimentation, compared with 30 percent who said they learned about it in class. Students’ daily or weekly use of AI for studying and research rose from 23 percent in the 2023-24 school year to 40 percent in 2025-26. Over the same period, daily or weekly use for writing and idea generation increased from 21 percent to 29 percent. Project Tomorrow CEO Julie Evans said these patterns give schools an opportunity to teach students how to evaluate and use technology they already encounter on their own.

Students called for lessons on how AI produces answers and why those answers can be wrong. Tharun, a Pennsylvania high school senior, said students should learn where AI gets its information so they can judge whether to rely on it for research. He also said some classmates struggle with basic technology tasks, including managing files and troubleshooting errors. Jordan, an Alabama junior, said students need to recognize that AI-generated images, videos and written responses can be misleading or inaccurate.

Students also described using AI to understand coursework rather than complete assignments for them. Kennedy, an eighth grader in California, said she asks AI to rephrase unfamiliar concepts and help with difficult math problems, then compares its solutions with her own to find mistakes and understand the steps. In the survey, 48 percent of high school respondents wanted teachers to connect lessons to real-life situations, and an equal share wanted more chances to develop skills useful for future jobs. Another 44 percent wanted more self-paced learning, while 41 percent wanted teachers to seek and act on their suggestions for improving classes. Jordan described using Google Earth and ChatGPT in a ninth-grade geometry project to redesign his school courtyard to scale.

Teachers reported varying comfort with classroom technology: 11 percent felt very comfortable letting students use AI resources, and 35 percent felt very comfortable facilitating collaboration through digital tools. Fifty-six percent said digital tools helped personalize instruction, while 70 percent saw more interactive and participatory learning as a benefit of effective technology use. Students also recognized that technology can distract from learning and said clear rules and responsible use matter. Eloise called for rules to be enforced consistently, while Kennedy discussed her school’s cellphone restrictions. The students supported boundaries alongside opportunities to build digital literacy and learn how technology works.