Young people turn to AI over humans to verify facts, report finds

Education system risks losing young people's trust

Nearly half of young people in England trust AI more than a human to check whether information is accurate, according to a new report.

A survey of nearly 4,000 people in the age group 11 - 24 found that 47% would trust AI to check a fact, compared with 21% who would trust a person.

The proportion rose to 52% among young men, according to the research by Public First, commissioned as part of a report by historian Sir Anthony Seldon and technology entrepreneur Tim Bunting.

The report warns that the growing reliance on AI is exposing a widening gap between how young people use technology and how schools and universities are responding to it.

AI use widespread among young people

The survey found that 87% of young people in England had used an AI tool, rising to 90% among 13 and 14-year-olds.

But access and use varied by social background. Some 92% of young people in the highest social grade had used AI, compared with 79% in the lowest. About one in five young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) said they had never used an AI tool.

The report said the education system was struggling to keep up with the rapid adoption of the technology.

"Education has not kept pace with how - and how much - young people are already using AI," it said.

The authors warned that this gap was beginning to affect how young people viewed the value of education itself.

Some 42% of respondents said AI had made school education less important, compared with 35% who said it had made it more important. Only 9% said schools and universities were doing a good job of preparing them for a world shaped by AI.

At the same time, about two-thirds said schools should teach young people how to use AI tools responsibly.

Schools face growing pressure to adapt

The report said 38% of young people believed they were more proficient at using AI than their teachers.

It warned that pupils could eventually question whether school is a worthwhile use of their time if education failed to reflect the world in which they were already using AI.

The findings come amid debate over how governments and schools should respond to the rapid adoption of AI.

The report criticised what it called the "chaotic" introduction of AI into schools and described it as a major failure of government responsibility. It said parents, teachers and pupils were seeking reliable guidance on how the technology should be used.

Report calls for national AI strategy

The authors have proposed a 10-point action plan, including an AI rapid response unit within the Department for Education (DfE).

The government says it has already announced measures aimed at increasing the use and testing of AI in schools. It says AI tutoring tools will be available in schools across England by the end of 2027 and has committed £23m to expanding the testing of AI and education technology products.

A DfE spokesperson said the government was taking steps to update the curriculum for a rapidly changing world.

The department added a refreshed curriculum would focus on foundational skills including oracy and mathematical literacy, while ensuring pupils developed digital skills and could identify disinformation.