Almost half of young people trust AI more than a human to check facts

Almost half of young people trust artificial intelligence more than a human to check facts, according to a new report, as schools and universities risk becoming irrelevant.

A poll of 4,000 people, aged between 11 and 24, found that 47 per cent trust AI the most when checking facts, while only 21 per cent said the same of humans.

Among male respondents alone, the proportion trusting AI was even higher – at 52 per cent.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent of all respondents said they trust AI the most to explain something they do not understand – compared with 24 per cent who would choose a human.

The survey forms part of a wide-ranging report published today which warns education institutions risk losing relevance because they have not adapted to the AI age.

The paper was co-authored by former Wellington College head Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting, from Balderton Capital, one of Europe's largest venture capital firms.

They said: 'Education has not kept pace with how – and how much – young people are already using AI, and that gap is starting to show up as a loss of perceived value in the institution itself.

'That is a very dangerous place to find ourselves in. In the absence of a robust, human response to AI in education, young people are placing their trust in AI.'

Almost half of young people trust artificial intelligence more than a human to check facts, according to a new report (pictured: co-author Sir Anthony Seldon)

The survey, carried out for the authors by Public First, also found 42 per cent of young people think AI has made education less important.

It found 87 per cent have used an AI tool, and 37 per cent agree that 'AI has made school too easy'.

Some 25 per cent said AI has made university degrees useless, while 40 per cent thought AI could replace most teachers within ten years.

And 25 per cent thought it is acceptable for AI to advise them on which medicine to take for an illness, instead of seeing a doctor.

Among male respondents, the proportion was higher, at 31 per cent, compared with just 20 per cent of females.

The report calls for the Department for Education (DfE) to go into 'special measures' over its slowness to prepare schools for AI.

It says the Government should appoint a 'taskforce' to help schools to safely adopt AI in classrooms and ensure it does not lead to pupils cheating by getting programmes such as ChatGPT to do their homework.

It warns that if schools fail to catch up, the current attendance crisis will worsen because pupils will no longer see lessons as relevant to them.

School absence rates in England remain above pre-pandemic levels, with nearly one in five pupils missing at least 10 per cent of school in the 2025-26 academic year.

The report said: 'If education continues to treat adaptation as optional, it will not merely fall behind.

'It will begin to lose authority and legitimacy. And if the state loses legitimacy, then parents and students will start to question the requirements of the system.

'We already see aspects of this in the attendance debate… Parents and students increasingly do not see the need to attend school every day.'

It added that pupils may in future say: 'What's the point in coming to school if my [AI programme] can work this out faster and more reliably than I can, and can also teach me quicker and better the things that I need to know?'

It said: 'There is a risk... that a school system which stubbornly undervalues AI at scale, will lead to more families and students not recognising it as a legitimate use of their time and effort.'

Sir Anthony said: 'Despite warnings, education has always been Britain's Cinderella sector when it comes to technology, and with AI we are repeating the mistake at even greater speed and scale.

'Nearly nine in ten young people are already using AI, quietly and largely alone.

'Schools, colleges and universities' uncertainty about how to respond hasn't been helped remotely by a vacuum in leadership from Government.'