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Mar 23, 2026

What do students lose when they rely on AI for homework?

Heather Schwartz, co-director of the American Youth Panel at Rand, says over-reliance on AI could hurt important critical thinking skills students might need as adults in the workforce.

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A new study from Rand finds more middle, high school, and college students are using AI to help them with their homework.
A new study from Rand finds more middle, high school, and college students are using AI to help them with their homework.
Ben Hovland/MPR News

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More than 60% of middle, high school, and college students in the U.S. are turning to AI for homework help, according to a new study from Rand. Some use it to help them brainstorm or like an encyclopedia. Others do it to get answers.

But while kids are relying more on AI, about two-thirds of students surveyed in the study also believe that this AI use will hurt their critical thinking skills.

Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Heather Schwartz, co-director of the American Youth Panel at Rand and one of the authors of the report, about why students are worried.

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More Students Use AI for Homework, and More Believe It Harms Critical Thinking - from Rand

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