Parents Want Schools to Teach Responsible AI but Worry About Impacts on Students’ Learning

Recent Child Trends analysis of national survey data suggests that parents of middle and high school students view artificial intelligence (AI) as an issue that schools must address directly. Across survey questions, parents expressed clear expectations for how schools should teach responsible AI (i.e., students using AI in ways that support their education), alongside concerns about how AI use may affect student learning.

When asked how schools should approach teaching responsible AI use as part of middle or high school curricula, 57.6 percent of parents said responsible AI educational materials should be integrated across all classes, either in limited ways (34.4%) or as much as possible (23.2%). Conversely, 28.8 percent preferred that responsible AI be taught in specific classes only, such as computer science. Only 13.5 percent responded that responsible AI should not be taught in schools at all. These responses suggest that most parents view responsible AI use as a broadly relevant skill, rather than a specialized topic.

Parents are divided on AI’s long-term role in education, with some viewing it cautiously and others with greater interest. When asked whether AI will help or harm the quality of their child’s education in the long run, 34.0 percent said AI would substantially or somewhat help, while 36.2 percent said it would somewhat or substantially harm student learning. Another 17.4 percent reported that they do not yet know. This distribution indicates that many parents are still actively weighing AI’s potential benefits against possible risks.

Parents’ priorities are clearest when we examine which aspects of AI concern them the most. When asked to rank potential concerns related to AI use in their child’s education, parents most commonly cited academic honesty (i.e., cheating and plagiarism) as their greatest concern, ranking above data privacy, possible negative impacts on students’ learning, the spread of misinformation, reduced personal connection with teachers or peers, and inadequate training or guidance (see figure below). That academic honesty emerged as the top concern underscores the need for ongoing education on how students can use AI productively.

Percentage of parents identifying each factor as their top concern regarding the use of AI in education