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We study AI's real effects—on learning, mental health, and child development


The Youth AI Safety Institute conducts its own research and partners with trusted experts and organizations to gather reliable, independent data about the impact of AI on kids' lives.

2026 | tEENS IN THE AI ERA

Teens in the AI Era: Schoolwork and Skills That Matter

 

70% of teens use AI for schoolwork. Our new research shows what it's costing them.

 

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Student at laptop in the library

Stats Tell The Story

AI is becoming universal in the lives of American kids

9 in 10

tweens and teens are using AI, and about a quarter do so on a daily basis.

70%

of teens use AI for schoolwork, but only 27% say a teacher has ever talked with them about how it works or how to judge what it produces.

37%

of tween and teens who use AI have used it to discuss their feelings or personal problems.

Source: A Comprehensive Report on Teens, Tweens, and AI (Common Sense Media, 2026)

Youth AI Safety Institute research

Our research practices


Together with clinicians and child development experts, we focus on how AI shapes kids' lives and well-being. Our approach has four pillars:

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Synthesize what's known about how AI affects kids' cognitive, social-emotional, language, and physical development from birth through age 18.

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Conduct independent research on how AI is showing up in kids' lives—often in partnership with trusted institutions—using surveys, experiments, focus groups, and longitudinal studies.

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Survey kids over time to track which AI tools they're using and how, in and out of school.

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Translate findings to inform risk assessments, parent guidance, classroom resources, and policy.

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The choices we all make in the next few years will shape how kids learn, think, and relate to the world.