Many teenagers are using AI tools while remaining sceptical of the technology and the way it is promoted. The article argues that this matters because young people expect to live with the consequences of AI-driven disruption, including misinformation, job losses, weaker critical-thinking skills and environmental costs.

Research cited by YPulse found that 37 per cent of 13- to 17-year-olds feel embarrassed by AI-made music and videos, while more than half worry about misinformation and deepfakes. Although chatbot use is widespread, Pew found that more than a quarter of teenagers expect AI to harm society over the next 20 years; parents and teachers report that some pupils now use “that’s AI” as shorthand for something false or poor-quality.