One in three secondary pupils say they struggle to spot AI content
Nearly a third of secondary school pupils say they cannot tell whether AI content is true according to new research
Nearly a third (32%) of secondary school pupils say they cannot tell whether artificial intelligence (AI) content is true, according to new research.
The study, conducted by Opinium for Oxford University Press, showed that while eight in 10 pupils said they used AI tools in their schoolwork, fewer than half (47%) felt confident identifying accurate AI-generated information.
An additional 21% admitted they were unsure if they could tell whether AI content is accurate at all.
The survey of 2,000 pupils aged 13 to 18 found that nearly half (48%) are seeking support from teachers to help them understand when AI-generated content can be trusted.
However, a third doubted their teachers’ confidence using AI tools, and almost half (47%) worried that their teachers could not spot when students used AI to complete assignments.
More than six in 10 (62%) said they felt AI had had a negative impact on their schoolwork skills – a quarter (26%) said using AI made schoolwork too easy, and 12% said using it limits their creative thinking.
Pupils in London were most likely (92%) to say they used AI tools in their schoolwork. London pupils were also far more likely to say they were confident spotting AI misinformation (63%).
The Curriculum and Assessment Review, which is due to publish its final report this autumn, highlighted earlier this year that the school curriculum must respond to technological change and ensure young people are equipped to navigate misinformation in a world increasingly using AI.
The Department for Education has published a range of resources to advise schools on how to use AI safely.