With the explosive popularization of artificial intelligence technology, the learning and lifestyle habits of American teenagers are undergoing a profound "paradigm shift." According to a newly released survey report from the Pew Research Center, AI chatbots are no longer the exclusive domain of geeks but have become a "digital staple" for today's teenagers.

The survey data shows that as many as 64% of American teenagers (aged 13 to 17) have used AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, or Character.ai. Among them, about 30% of respondents said they interact with AI every day. In terms of usage, 57% use it as a search engine to obtain information, while 54% admitted using it to complete homework, making AI an "online tutor" after class.

AIbase found that teenagers show a pragmatic optimism toward AI. More than one-third of young people believe that AI brings more benefits than drawbacks for their personal future, seeing it as a "force multiplier" to enhance learning efficiency and accuracy. However, this technological dependency has also raised concerns at the societal level. Approximately 59% of students observed that some peers use AI to assist in cheating, and this proportion reaches as high as 76% among those who heavily rely on AI for homework.

Interestingly, the report also revealed a significant generational knowledge gap. Only 51% of parents are aware that their children are using AI, far below the 64% reported by the teenagers themselves, and nearly 40% of parents have never discussed the boundaries of AI usage with their children. Although parents generally accept using AI to look up information, they remain highly cautious about AI's involvement in private areas such as emotional support. A Pew researcher stated that as the educational environment rapidly evolves, how AI can find a balance between "tool assistance" and "weakening thinking" will be a core issue of social concern in the coming years.

Summary:

  • 🤖 AI Adoption Reaches New Heights: More than 60% of American teenagers have used AI bots, mainly for information retrieval, homework assistance, and content summarization, indicating that AI is deeply integrated into daily study routines.

  • 🎓 Academic Use Sparks Controversy: Over half of students use AI to assist with homework, which is seen as an efficient tool, but there are concerns about the spread of cheating and the weakening of critical thinking.

  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Generational Knowledge Gap Exists: Many parents underestimate their children's exposure to AI, and there is a clear discrepancy in the acceptance of AI usage between parents and teenagers, posing new challenges for family education.