The AI generation at school: A large-scale survey on student practices, perceptions, and worries

This study explores how secondary school students in Austria, aged 16 and above, engage with artificial intelligence (AI) in their academic lives. Based on a survey of 656 students, it examines their awareness of AI, how they use different tools for homework and across subjects, and the extent to which AI is discussed in schools. The findings indicate that AI is already embedded in students' everyday learning, with gendered patterns in its use and a wide range of perceptions and concerns. While students show creativity, independence, and critical awareness in applying AI, schools have not yet integrated it systematically into classroom practice. The study highlights both opportunities and challenges for education, emphasizing the need for inclusive, practice-oriented, and ethically grounded approaches that align student-driven use of AI with pedagogical goals. By foregrounding learners’ perspectives, it contributes to debates on how schools can respond to the rapid spread of AI technologies.