A new OECD educational report finds that students who use AI chatbots or similar tools for schoolwork tend to score worse on tests than peers who do not use them. The report presents cross-country evidence from its latest assessment of learning outcomes.
The OECD’s findings suggest the impact of AI on learning is not uniform. While overall results point to a negative association between AI use and performance, the pattern varies by how students use the technology. Some outlets report that certain forms of AI use—such as activities that encourage learners to critically evaluate information—show less harmful effects or even modest benefits in specific contexts.
Both sources describe the report as among the broadest available to date on the relationship between student AI use and achievement, while also emphasizing that the situation is more complex than a simple “AI is bad” conclusion. The differing angles largely reflect this nuance: one highlights the general decline in performance for AI users, while the other underscores that some instructional approaches around AI may change the results.
