AI Use in Schools Is Linked to Lower Student Scores as Google Expands Classroom Reach
Summary
Student reliance on AI is linked to lower school performance as Google expands classroom tools to more than 170 million students and teachers, with 2025 PISA data showing AI users score 20 points below nonusers and districts unable to disable Search AI Overviews or AI Mode.
Key Points
- The Wall Street Journal reports that AI dependence is increasingly inhibiting students' thinking as classroom tools proliferate, with Google leading the push into schools.
- 2025 PISA data show students who use AI for schoolwork score 20 points lower on average than nonusers—roughly a year of schooling behind—and OECD performance hits record lows in science, reading and mathematics.
- Google reaches more than 170 million students and teachers through school software partnerships, while districts cannot disable Search AI Overviews or AI Mode through administrative controls.