On Feb. 24, 2026, a new Pew Research Center survey found that 54 percent of U.S. teenagers aged 13 to 17 reported using chatbots such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to help with schoolwork. The survey, conducted last fall of 2025, sampled 1,458 teenagers and their parents and found use patterns ranging from occasional help to heavy reliance. Teens and researchers told Pew that chatbot-assisted cheating is increasingly viewed as part of student life, while educators and policymakers debate responses. The findings arrive amid an intensifying national conversation about the educational and ethical consequences of generative A.I.
Key Takeaways
- Fifty-four percent of U.S. teens (ages 13–17) said they had used a chatbot for school tasks, according to Pew’s report published Feb. 24, 2026.
- Pew’s survey of 1,458 teenagers and their parents was conducted last fall (fall 2025) and captures a broad range of A.I. use across demographics.
- Forty-four percent of teens said they used A.I. for “some” or “a little” of their schoolwork, while 10 percent said they use chatbots for all or most assignments.
- Previous Pew research found 26 percent of teens reported using ChatGPT for school in 2024, up from 13 percent in 2023 — illustrating rapid growth in a specific tool’s adoption.
- The report highlights that many teenagers perceive chatbot-assisted cheating as a common occurrence, prompting concern among educators and parents.
Background
Generative A.I. systems that produce humanlike text and images have spread quickly through consumer apps, education platforms, and browsers. Schools and districts have struggled to update honor codes, assessment design, and classroom policies at the same pace, creating varied local responses. Pew Research Center has tracked teen technology behavior for years; its 2023–2024 trend data showed a sharp rise in ChatGPT use and now a broader shift toward diverse chatbot tools. Stakeholders include students, parents, teachers, school administrators, testing agencies, and technology companies, each facing trade-offs between learning benefits and academic integrity risks.
Educators report uneven access and familiarity: some teachers incorporate A.I. tools into lessons, while others ban or restrict them during assessments. Policymakers at state and district levels are debating whether to regulate classroom use, mandate disclosures, or redesign assignments to reduce simple output reuse. Researchers note that teens’ routine exposure to conversational A.I. outside school shapes expectations and behaviors in academic contexts. That mixing of social and institutional norms is central to why many respondents described chatbot-assisted cheating as “a regular feature of student life.”
Main Event
The Pew study, released on Feb. 24, 2026 and updated at 2:23 p.m. ET, reports that 54 percent of surveyed teens used chatbots for tasks such as researching assignments or solving math problems. Usage intensity varied: 44 percent said A.I. helped with some or a little schoolwork, whereas 10 percent relied on chatbots for most or all tasks. The survey’s methodology paired teen responses with parent reports to improve context and sampling balance; Pew lists detailed weighting and questionnaire notes in the full report.
Respondents described a mix of motivations, from speeding up homework to seeking explanations for difficult concepts. The report also captured perception-based findings: many teens believe peers use A.I. tools to gain an advantage, and a significant share characterize chatbot-assisted cheating as commonplace. Pew researchers, including senior researcher Colleen McClain, framed the trend as evidence that A.I. is reshaping everyday student practices rather than remaining a niche aid.
The study distinguishes between ChatGPT-specific use in prior years and more generic chatbot adoption across platforms in 2025, a shift driven by more integrated A.I. services and browser-based assistants. Pew’s sampling window last fall captured the post-2024 expansion of commercial A.I. features in widely used apps, which likely increased the overall share reporting some chatbot use for schoolwork. The report stops short of measuring direct impacts on learning outcomes, focusing instead on prevalence, self-reported behaviors, and attitudes.
Analysis & Implications
The rapid adoption of chatbots among teens has several immediate implications for K–12 education. First, assessment design faces pressure: if substantial proportions of students can generate plausible answers with little effort, traditional take-home assignments and short-answer formats may overstate mastery. Educators may need to shift toward in-class performance tasks, portfolios, or oral defenses to reliably measure understanding.
Second, equity issues arise. Access to higher-quality A.I. tools, device availability, and digital literacy vary by household and district, so reliance on chatbots could widen achievement gaps unless schools proactively address access and instruction. Districts that ban tools outright risk uneven enforcement and may miss opportunities to teach critical evaluation of A.I. outputs. A balanced approach that teaches prompt literacy and verification skills could reduce harms while capturing educational benefits.
Third, policy and legal frameworks must adapt. Testing agencies, accreditation bodies, and state education departments will face decisions about permitted uses, honor-code language, and reporting expectations. Those choices have consequences for grading fairness and disciplinary practices. Technology vendors also bear responsibility for clear labeling, usage logs, and education-focused product design that supports learning rather than facilitating rote substitution.
Comparison & Data
| Year | Measure | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ChatGPT use for schoolwork (Pew) | 13% |
| 2024 | ChatGPT use for schoolwork (Pew) | 26% |
| Fall 2025 | Any chatbot use for schoolwork (Pew) | 54% |
The table shows a twofold jump in reported ChatGPT use from 2023 to 2024 and a further increase in overall chatbot adoption by fall 2025. Differences reflect both expansion of tools beyond ChatGPT and broader integration of A.I. features into common apps. These figures are self-reported prevalence measures and do not directly measure learning gains or losses; they should be read alongside qualitative data on attitudes and school responses.
Reactions & Quotes
Researchers at Pew framed the trend as normalization of A.I. assistance in students’ academic routines, a finding that has drawn attention from educators and parents nationwide. Below are direct excerpts from the report and a Pew researcher, presented with context.
“Teenagers think chatbot-assisted cheating has become ‘a regular feature of student life.'”
Pew Research Center report
This line summarizes a perception captured in the survey: many teens believe peers commonly use chatbots in ways that would be judged academically dishonest under traditional rules. That perception shapes peer norms and pressures, and it is central to officials’ concerns about fairness and integrity.
“We’re definitely seeing that the use of A.I. chatbots for help with schoolwork is becoming a common practice for teens.”
Colleen McClain, Pew Research Center
As a senior researcher and co-author of the study, McClain emphasized prevalence rather than prescribing remedies. Educators cited in public responses say the finding underscores the urgency of updating curricula and disciplinary frameworks to reflect current student behavior.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the increased chatbot use reported by teens has produced measurable declines in learning outcomes remains unconfirmed; the Pew survey measures prevalence and perceptions, not test-score causal effects.
- Reports that entire classrooms are routinely submitting chatbot-generated work are localized anecdotes and have not been verified as widespread across districts.
- The degree to which vendors’ changes in 2025 feature sets directly caused the jump from 26 percent ChatGPT use (2024) to 54 percent overall chatbot use (fall 2025) is plausible but not proven; the survey captures correlation not direct causation.
Bottom Line
Pew’s findings indicate that chatbot assistance is now a common element of many teenagers’ school routines, with 54 percent reporting some use and 10 percent relying on chatbots for most or all assignments. That scale of adoption forces educators and policymakers to decide whether to ban, constrain, or integrate these tools into learning design.
The practical response will likely be mixed: some districts will update assessment formats and academic integrity policies, while others will adopt instructional programs to teach A.I. literacy. For parents and teachers, the priority is to combine access management with explicit instruction on how to use A.I. responsibly so that students benefit from new capabilities without eroding core learning goals.
Sources
- The New York Times — (news report summarizing Pew study)
- Pew Research Center — (official nonpartisan research report)