Two-thirds of UK teachers say AI is eroding students' critical thinking
A survey of 9,000 British public school teachers found that 66% believe AI use is causing students to lose critical thinking skills, writing ability, and problem-solving capacity. The National Education Union conducted the research as the UK government pushes plans to deploy AI tutoring tools to 450,000 disadvantaged students.
The findings reveal a sharp divide between government policy and teacher opinion. Only 14% of surveyed teachers support the government's AI education plan. Nearly half-49%-actively oppose it.
What teachers worry about
Teachers cited concerns beyond academic decline. One respondent wrote: "Students who need tutoring often need more than just academic support. I don't think AI can meet those needs."
Others flagged social and emotional gaps. "Students from disadvantaged backgrounds need instruction through interaction with humans, not AI," one teacher said. "This can improve their social skills and reduce social isolation."
Cost-cutting was another recurring theme. Teachers worry the government will use AI to replace human tutors rather than supplement them.
A majority-66%-said speech recognition technology has reduced students' need to memorize spelling, eroding related skills. Some teachers reported students are "losing basic skills such as thinking ability, creativity, writing ability, and even how to converse."
Teachers are already using AI-but without guidance
Despite reservations about student use, 76% of teachers said they use AI in their daily work. That's a jump from 53% in 2025.
Teachers rely on AI primarily for creating teaching materials (61%), lesson planning (41%), and administrative tasks (38%). Only 7% use it for grading.
The problem: most schools lack formal policies. Forty-nine percent of schools have no AI use policy for teachers or students. Sixty-six percent have no student AI policy at all.
"Staff are using AI without receiving training on how to use it properly," one teacher noted, "and as a result, low-quality AI content is being used in educational settings."
Government pushes back
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said AI tutoring "has the potential to dramatically change access to personalized tutoring for young people, making it available to all children who need it, rather than being the privilege of only a select few."
A government spokesperson defended the policy in response to the union's findings: "Our mission is to break the link between home environment and success. No technology should replace the foundational knowledge and academic thinking skills that students need. At the same time, we need to prepare children to thrive in a digitized world."
Daniel Kebede, executive director of the National Education Union, rejected this framing. "Students must be able to think for themselves. This is central to learning, but our research shows that reliance on AI is impacting students' critical thinking skills," he said. "The government is taking risks by announcing the introduction of AI tutors before the impact of AI is fully understood."
The path forward
Teachers agree AI can be useful-if deployed carefully. One respondent said: "If used correctly, AI can be a valuable educational tool. However, this requires regulation and guidance, and I think all schools should have training and policies in place for staff and students."
For educators navigating these questions, understanding how to implement AI responsibly is becoming essential. Resources like the AI Learning Path for Teachers can help staff develop skills for managing AI tools effectively in classrooms. More broadly, exploring AI for Education provides context on how institutions are approaching these challenges.
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