Artificial intelligence at school: 65% of Italian students use ChatGpt

In an age where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, artificial intelligence (Ai) is finding an increasingly prominent role in the educational sector. A recent research conducted by TGM Research on behalf of NoPlagio.it, an anti-plagiarism software platter and Ai content detector, revealed a surprising fact: 65% of Italian students between the ages of 16 and 18 use ChatGPT and similar tools to do homework and write essays. The study involved 1007 Italian students, revealing that the use of AI in schools is now a widespread practice. In addition to the 65% who use AI for homework and essays, 71% search for information, 60% use it to do homework, 33% to learn, 18% to answer tests, 21% as a personal assistant and 13% specifically to write essays.

Chorst Klaus, one of the founders of NoPlagio.it, emphasises the importance of an aware use of AI: 'We do not intend to demonise the use of AI, but to promote its conscious use in order to counteract the ignorance that could affect our children. Teachers themselves should be the first to delve into the subject in order to guide children towards the correct use of AI'.

However, despite the enthusiasm for AI, concerns also emerge. 64% of students express fears about the unrestricted use of AI both at school and in the world of work. Furthermore, 54% of respondents say they do not completely trust the content produced by ChatGPT, while only 25% consider the tool trustworthy.

Geographically, the use of AI is more widespread in the cities of Naples (60%), Turin (60%), Milan (56%) and Rome (53%). Sixteen-year-olds are slightly more active in using these tools than 18-year-olds, with a 3% higher usage rate. Looking to the future, 68% of students plan to continue using AI. This figure is slightly higher among boys (71%) than girls (65%). In particular, 18-year-olds are more likely to continue using AI than 16-year-olds (71% vs. 63%).AI is perceived as a useful tool in everyday life by 31% of students, but 64% remain concerned about potentially unlimited and uncontrolled use. Only 4% of students have an extremely negative view of AI. Girls, in particular, express more concern than boys (70% vs. 64%). With regard to the inclusiveness of AI-produced content, 48% of students believe that biases can be avoided through careful use, while 32% believe that content may reflect biases in the data used to train algorithms. 57% of students do not believe that AI can significantly influence public opinion, but 21% fear that this risk is real. A further 20% believe that such risks can be avoided through governmental control policies and restrictions. Comparing the data with other European countries, it emerges that the use of AI for educational purposes is also widespread in Germany and Spain. In Spain, in particular, 70% of students use AI, followed by Germany with 63%.