Commenting on two surveys of young people and parents, commissioned by Childnet (part of UK Safer Internet Centre) and carried out by Nominet, which showed that 97 per cent of young people are using AI tools, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“These findings show the extraordinary scale of AI use among young people. Despite this, the national curriculum contains only scant reference to AI, leaving teachers without the necessary guidance, training and resources needed to teach pupils about AI’s capabilities and risks.
“The government’s own Curriculum & Assessment Review recognises this widening gap and the urgent need for a stronger focus on critical thinking and media and digital literacy. But teachers and their students, as well as parents, cannot be expected to wait a further eighteen months for action from government.
“Young people are already using AI at an unprecedented rate, including for their homework and studying. Yet the evidence is clear that the risks of AI use in education, particularly for young people’s learning and development, overshadow the benefits. (1)
“Equally concerning is the number of young people who are relying on AI for emotional support, and those worried about AI being used to create inappropriate images of them. These findings must serve as a clarion call for government to act urgently to ensure that children have the information, support and resources they need to make informed, safe and ethical decisions about AI.”
Editor’s Note
- Center for Universal Education at Brookings Institution (2026) A new direction for students in an AI world