Education

Many Parents Now Worried Their Kids Rely On AI Way Too Much

Students with cell phones. (Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

Many parents are now concerned that their kids are relying too heavily on artificial intelligence, according to a survey released Thursday.

The latest edition of Deloitte’s annual “Back-to-School” survey found that 49% of parents feel worried that their children are leaning on AI too much. Meanwhile, 35% of respondents were worried that schools are not doing enough to prepare students for AI, the survey shows.

Of those surveyed, 28% of parents reported that their kids are already using generative AI in their schoolwork. Generative AI, also known as GenAI, refers to a type of AI that can produce original content including text, images, video, audio or software code in response to users’ prompts, according to IBM.

Moreover, 13% of parents said they are planning to pay for generative AI-related classes our tutoring for their kids, per the poll.

One potential con of using AI tools for education-related tasks is that they can provide students and teachers misleading or inaccurate information, according to Discovery Education. There have also been a spate of recent reports about students using AI to cheat on their homework.

Still, multiple studies have suggested some students can enhance their performance on tasks such as math practice, programming assignments or writing when they utilize AI tools, according to a March report from Stanford University’s Systems Change Advancing Learning and Equity Initiative.

Over half of teens in the U.S. reported having used AI chatbots to search for information or get assistance on their schoolwork, per a Pew Research Center poll published in February.

Some universities have begun utilizing AI tools to catch students cheating on homework, according to Nature.

Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said in a September 2025 statement that while AI “has the power to help students learn and reach their full potential,” they “must be taught to use it responsibly.”

Deloitte’s survey polled 1,207 parents of school-aged kids from May 22-29, with respondents having at least one child attending school in grades K-12 this fall. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.