How kids feel about AI, in their own words
A study reveals that teenagers hold nuanced views on artificial intelligence, often using it for practical tasks like schoolwork and programming, while also expressing significant concerns about its societal impact and potential to diminish critical thinking.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
Contrary to adult expectations, a survey and interviews with kids aged 10-18 show a complex relationship with AI. While many use it for everyday tasks, they are not universally enthusiastic, with some expressing disinterest or deep-seated fears about its effects on creativity, critical thinking, and society, rather than just job displacement.
Imagine a super-smart helper that can answer questions or write things for you, like a really advanced calculator. Kids are using this helper for school or to build cool stuff, but they're also a bit careful. Some think it's not very good yet, like a clumsy first car, and worry it might make them less creative or spread wrong ideas. They want to be in charge of their own thinking, not let the helper do everything for them.
Analysis
The article delves into the unexpected and varied perspectives of young people regarding artificial intelligence, challenging common adult assumptions. Instead of a simple dichotomy of enthusiastic adoption or outright rejection, the research uncovers a landscape of nuanced engagement, marked by both practical use and profound skepticism.
Remy, 16
Remy, a 16-year-old coder from New York, exemplifies the cautious pragmatism many teens exhibit. He uses AI, specifically Claude, for programming tasks outside of school, acknowledging its utility in specific contexts like tweaking computer overclocks. However, he views current AI applications as "indifferent" and "crude," comparing them to early cars or airplanes—promising but not yet refined enough for widespread, reliable use.
Remy's experience highlights a significant concern: AI's impact on traditional education. He notes that teachers, fearing cheating, have shifted to in-class writing, which he believes hinders his writing development. This sentiment is echoed by the article's mention of Princeton's faculty proctoring exams for the first time in over a century due to AI, underscoring how AI is forcing a re-evaluation of academic integrity and learning methodologies.
Danielle, 18
Danielle, an 18-year-old engineering student from California, articulates a more philosophical concern about AI's societal implications. Her primary worry isn't job displacement, but rather the potential for AI to erode critical thinking and spread misinformation or disinformation. She emphasizes that AI itself is neither inherently good nor bad, but its moral valence is determined by its human users.
Danielle's perspective underscores a broader theme: young people's awareness of AI's ethical dimensions. She aims to innovate technology that helps people, suggesting a desire to steer AI towards beneficial applications while remaining acutely aware of its pitfalls. This proactive stance indicates a generation that wants to maintain agency and responsibility in the face of increasingly powerful tools.
Pew Research Center
The findings from the Pew Research Center's February 2026 survey corroborate the anecdotal evidence, providing a quantitative backbone to the qualitative interviews. The data shows that a significant majority of US teens have engaged with chatbots, primarily for information searching (57%) and schoolwork (54%), with a smaller but still substantial portion using them for entertainment (47%). This indicates a widespread, if often utilitarian, integration of AI into daily life.
Crucially, the survey reveals that teens are four times more likely to use AI in innocuous ways than potentially harmful ones, such as seeking emotional support or advice. This challenges the adult-centric fear that young people are blindly trusting AI or using it for illicit purposes. Instead, it suggests a discerning approach, where AI is treated as a tool for specific, often practical, functions rather than a substitute for human judgment or social interaction.
Key points
- Kids aged 10-18 have nuanced views on AI, often using it practically but expressing significant skepticism and concern.
- Many teens use AI for schoolwork, information searching, and entertainment, but less so for emotional support.
- Concerns among youth focus more on AI's impact on critical thinking, creativity, and the spread of misinformation, rather than job displacement.
- Some students feel AI has negatively impacted education, leading to changes like increased in-class writing.
- Young people often view current AI as 'crude' but acknowledge its potential for future beneficial applications, like in healthcare.
The critical and discerning approach of young people towards AI could foster a generation that demands more ethical and responsible AI development. Their desire to maintain critical thinking and creativity may lead to innovative ways of integrating AI as a tool that augments human capabilities rather than replaces them.
An over-reliance on AI for tasks like schoolwork could diminish essential skills such as critical thinking and independent writing, as evidenced by teachers shifting to in-class assignments. There's also a risk of young people encountering unfiltered content or trusting inaccurate information generated by AI, potentially leading to the spread of misinformation.
