Public opinion on artificial intelligence in schools has shifted in a little over a year. In June 2025, 53% of American adults said schools that use AI would do a better job preparing students for the future. In the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll, that share is down to 44%, while 56% now say schools that prohibit AI would do a better job.
Among adults surveyed, 53% said AI does more harm than good in K-12 education, compared with 27% who said it does more good than harm. The results for colleges and universities were nearly the same.
The survey, powered by SurveyMonkey, reached 7,105 adults online between August 20 and September 1, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
The second question complicates the first
NBC also asked which uses of AI are acceptable for a student completing an assignment, and allowed more than one answer. Those results do not look like a public that wants a ban.
| Use | Say it is acceptable |
|---|---|
| Proofreading and editing | 49% |
| Research and brainstorming | 41% |
| Organizing or outlining ideas | 38% |
| No AI use is acceptable | 31% |
| Writing or generating content | 7% |
Fewer than a third would rule out AI entirely on schoolwork. Roughly half are fine with a student running a draft through it to check for grammar. What almost nobody accepts, at 7%, is AI writing or generating the content.
Opinion moved. Usage moved further
Think tank RAND surveyed five nationally representative groups and reported in September 2025 that 54% of students and 53% of English, math, and science teachers had used AI for school, increases of more than 15 percentage points in one to two years. Meanwhile 45% of principals reported having school or district policies on AI use, 35% of district leaders said they provide students any training on it, and more than 80% of students said teachers never explicitly taught them how to use AI for schoolwork.
RAND also found a split that closely matches the NBC numbers. Sixty-one percent of parents agreed that greater AI use will harm students' critical thinking skills. Among district leaders, 22% agreed. The people who decide policy are markedly less worried than the people whose children are affected by it, and the NBC trend suggests the public is moving away from district leaders rather than toward them.
Half of students also told RAND they worry about being falsely accused of using AI to cheat.
The argument on the other side
First lady Melania Trump told NBC News this week that students need hands-on experience with the technology. "Of course, they need to be vigilant, as well," she said. "But this is our future, and we need to guide them and teach them what is available. If not, they will stay behind, and we need to be the first, in [the] United States, to lead."
For what the research says about AI replacing instruction rather than supplementing it, see whether AI will ever replace teachers, and for the schools charging tuition on the premise that it already can, the AI school with no teachers.
Sources
NBC News: Poll, Most Americans think AI is doing more harm than good in schools
RAND: AI Use in Schools Is Quickly Increasing but Guidance Lags Behind (September 2025)
