Most American teenagers now use artificial intelligence for schoolwork. But few are being taught how to use it, and many use it in ways that can shortcut their own learning. That is the picture from a new survey by Common Sense Media. The nonprofit released its report, 'Teens in the AI Era: Schoolwork and Skills That Matter,' on August 18, 2026. It is based on answers from 1,017 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. They were surveyed in April and May 2026.
The survey found that 70% of teens use AI for schoolwork. Among those who do, 63% say they go straight to a chatbot for an answer instead of working it out themselves. Of that group, Common Sense reported that 25% use the answer as-is, 31% rewrite it to sound like their own voice, and 35% improve it with what they already know. Michael Robb, head of research at Common Sense, said this pattern worries him most. 'But using AI to get answers in various forms, even if you think you're using it in a way that seems less harmful, can still undermine learning,' he said.
Teens do not only lean on AI for answers. Among those who use it, 77% say they use it as a support tool, such as for brainstorming, checking their work, or getting feedback on writing. And 66% say it helps them understand schoolwork, not just finish faster. The 77% and 63% shares add up to more than 100%. According to The 74, that is because many teens use AI in different ways at different times, depending on the assignment. So the two figures describe overlapping behavior, not two separate groups.
Some teens see a cost to their own thinking. Among those who use AI, 38% say having it available leads them to come up with fewer of their own ideas. And 39% say they feel like they are missing out on learning when they use AI to finish assignments.
Even so, few teens report getting much guidance. The 74 reported that fewer than one in three teens say a teacher has ever talked with them about using AI safely. Just one in four say a teacher has discussed how to tell whether AI answers are accurate.
Bans do not seem to close that gap. Common Sense found that among teens who use AI for schoolwork, 44% have had an AI tool blocked on a school network or device. Of those teens, 59% simply switched to a personal device to get around the block. Robb also said many schools are not clear about their rules. According to the wire report from Sinclair's National News Desk, more than a third of teens do not understand their school's rules on AI. And 28% said the rules vary a lot from teacher to teacher.
Asked which skills will matter most in the future, teens named ones they said AI cannot or should not replace. These included working well with others (55%), fact-checking and critical thinking (50%), and reading and understanding complex information (48%).
The findings sit next to earlier data. The 74 reported that a College Board survey last fall found the share of high schoolers using AI for schoolwork had climbed to 84%. That is higher than the 70% in this survey, though the two studies looked at different groups of students.
Common Sense released the report along with a new K-12 Digital Literacy and Well-Being Curriculum. It includes AI-focused lessons for high school. The Sinclair report added that, according to data from Playlab Learning Hub, 37 states had published some form of AI guidance or framework as of June 2026. Five of those states require districts to adopt their own AI policies.