Teens at a Table: How Gen Z Really Feels About AI in School

In this eye-opening inaugural episode of SheKnows’ new video series Teens at a Table, 19-year-old host Ajani sits down with Greta (17), Clive (16), and Meera (16) to tackle a hot-button issue that’s only getting murkier: how AI tools like ChatGPT are transforming the way teens learn … for better or worse.

From creating personalized study guides to finishing quick assignments even faster, all four teens say that AI has become a regular part of their schoolwork. Supplementing their Spanish classes, turning study guides into fresh practice tests, and streamlining small tasks are all ways they’ve embraced the technology to help out at school — and they’re far from alone in this. In a recent survey of SheKnows’ Teen Council, nearly half reported using AI for school five or more times per week.

But is using AI cheating? Well, that’s where those gray areas come in. “I fully feel like it’s cheating, but also, like, I completely use it for everything,” Clive hilariously confesses.

The teens also dive into whether banning AI is realistic, or even an option at all. Though some schools attempt bans and use AI detectors, the teens agree it’s nearly impossible to stop students from finding ways around restrictions (because from the dawn of time, teenagers have been finding ways to skirt authorities’ rules). And while teachers scramble to compensate, students feel the only true way to assess learning now is in-person testing.

Perhaps most revealing is their take on AI’s broader impact. Clive says his writing has already suffered because he relies so much on AI to do it for him. And most of the teens are only just learning about AI’s environmental toll — something they admit isn’t on most students’ radar yet.

So how would they handle AI if they were in charge of schools? From building entire curricula around AI to assigning more personal, creative work that can’t be faked, their answers show a generation torn between embracing technology and worrying it might ultimately shortchange their education. As rising college sophomore Ajani says, “My parents are paying for this education. I need to get the most out of it, and asking a computer to do my work for me is not the way that’s gonna happen.”

For their full, unfiltered thoughts — including which assignments they believe AI simply can’t help with — watch the whole Teens at a Table episode above.