London: Nearly half of young people in England say they would trust artificial intelligence more than a human to check whether information is accurate, according to a new report on the growing role of AI in education and everyday life.
A Public First survey of more than 4,000 people aged between 11 and 24 found that young men were even more likely than other respondents to say they would trust an AI tool over a person to check a fact. The survey also showed the extent to which AI has already become part of young people’s lives, with nearly 87 percent saying they had experience using an AI tool.
The findings were published as part of a report by historian Sir Anthony Seldon and technology entrepreneur Tim Bunting, which warns that England’s education system is struggling to keep pace with the rapid adoption of AI.
The authors argue that schools and universities risk losing their perceived value among young people if the education system does not adapt to the technology they are already using. The report said the education system was attempting to prepare students for an ‘AI-less world that no longer exists.’
“Education has not kept pace with how – and how much- young people are already using AI, and that gap is starting to show up as a loss of perceived value in the institution itself,” the report said.
It warned that the situation could become particularly concerning if schools fail to provide young people with a strong human-led approach to understanding and using AI. According to the report, young people may increasingly turn to AI systems for information when they do not see educational institutions as keeping pace with technological change.
The survey, conducted last month, found that fewer than 10 percent of young people believe schools and universities are adequately preparing them for a future shaped by AI. The report warned that the ‘legitimacy’ of the education system could come under pressure if institutions continue to treat AI as something that can simply be kept outside the classroom.
The authors have proposed a 10-point plan for the government to strengthen the use of AI in education. Among their recommendations are the creation of a rapid-response AI unit within the Department for Education and a network of 100 ‘AI champion schools and colleges’ that could help develop and share approaches to using the technology.
Seldon described education as the UK’s “Cinderella sector when it comes to technology” and added that the government could not afford to wait for complete certainty before taking action.
The government has previously announced that AI tutoring tools will be made available to schools in England by the end of 2027, alongside a £23 million investment to expand the testing of AI and education technology products in schools.
The Department for Education has also established an AI Safety and Pedagogy Taskforce, bringing together education and AI experts to develop benchmarks for assessing the safety and effectiveness of AI in education.
A government spokesperson stated that AI is a fast-moving technology that presents both opportunities and challenges. The government also said its refreshed curriculum would strengthen foundational skills, digital literacy and young people’s ability to identify disinformation.
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