Teens are using AI a lot more than parents think

Most teenagers in the United States are using artificial intelligence — and they’re using it a lot more than their parents think.
That’s according to a new report from Common Sense Media, titled “The Dawn of the AI Era,” which found that 7 in 10 teens have used at least one type of generative artificial intelligence.
Common Sense Media, which describes itself as a nonprofit “dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education and independent voice they need to thrive,” used data from a survey of 1,045 U.S. adults who are parents of a teenager ages 13 to 18 and their teenager.
The results of the survey show that teens are rapidly embracing AI in its many forms; parents are a little slower on the uptake.
By far the most common forms of AI used by teens are AI-supported search engines (think Google SGE) and chatbots/text generators (think ChatGPT or Gemini). Over half (56%) of teens say they have used search engines with AI-generated results, and slightly less (51%) have used chatbots/text generators. AI image generators and video generators are less common at 34% and 22%, respectively.
Teens use AI for a wide variety of purposes, but teachers may not be surprised to hear that the most common reason teens use AI is for help with homework.
Of those ages 13-18, 4 in 10 have used AI for help with homework; and of the teens that say they use AI, over half (53%) report using it for homework help, according to the report. Students who use AI for homework do so with (41%) or without (46%) their teachers’ permission.
The second and third most commons uses for AI were to fend off boredom (42%) and to translate something to a different language (41%).
Though not as common, some teens who use AI use it for more personal reasons. Nearly one-fifth (18%) use it to get advice on a personal issue and fully 15% use it to keep them company. Fourteen percent use AI to get health advice.
While the majority of teens are using AI, “most parents are in the dark about their child’s generative AI use,” the study reads.
Only 37% of parents whose teens says they have used AI stated that they thought their teen used the technology. On the other hand, 1 in 4 (23%) falsely thought their kids did not use AI, and 39% weren’t sure.
Parents also have mixed feelings on the effects of AI, per the report. Over a quarter (26%) say AI will have a positive impact on their teen’s learning in school, while 31% say it will have a negative impact on their teen. Parents who have used AI themselves are more likely to believe the technology will have a positive effect.
“This report reinforces the need to increase awareness about how generative AI works and ensure that children don’t experience any harm as a result of unfettered access,” said James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, in a press release. “We are committed to helping schools establish clear communication policies and opening dialogue among young people, parents, caregivers, and teachers so that together we can empower students to thrive in a digital world.”