A plurality of Americans say AI weakens students' deep thinking
Core finding
Americans' most common read on AI in the classroom is a wary one: 23% say it reduces students' deep thinking, ahead of any other view, according to an August 2025 Verasight survey.
Another 18% say AI's impact is still unclear, and 16% see it adding convenience without real depth; the rest divide among smaller camps, with 14% each calling it a study aid or saying it promotes dependency, and 8% each pointing to tech overuse or personalized learning.
Topline distribution
A plurality of Americans say AI weakens students' deep thinking.
Which of the following best describes how you think AI impacts student learning?
n = 1,000 · Aug 13–18, 2025 · MoE ±3.1%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | United States adults |
| Field dates | Aug 13–18, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.1% |
| Module | Verasight JSM Omnibus Survey |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/jsm-2025
Which of the following best describes how you think AI impacts student learning?
Cite this question
Verasight JSM Omnibus Survey, fielded August 13-18, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.