Beyond the Algorithm PT I: A Student-Led Look at the Impact of AI

In early Fall 2025, the research members of the Kentucky Student Voice Team came to consensus on the topic of inquiry for the 2025-2026 school year. Emerging from our team’s shared interests, current Kentucky education policy discussions, and what we were hearing from our peers in terms of pressing issues in schools around the Commonwealth, we decided to focus our investigation on Kentucky students’ experiences and perspectives with regard to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their learning and lives.

There is a lot of attention locally and nationally as to whether and how AI should be used in educational settings. Our hope with this research is to contribute to that broader conversation in ways that center the ideas and experiences of young people, as we are those who are most affected by the policy choices that schools, districts, states, and the federal government make related to AI and education, now and in the future.

To better understand Kentucky students’ perspectives on and experiences with AI and learning, we designed a mixed-methods study that includes both quantitative and qualitative data First, we designed a 33-item survey focused on five central areas receiving 869 survey responses from high school students across Kentucky.

The collective analysis of our survey and interview data surfaced four key findings.

1. A majority of Kentucky high school students use AI for educational enhancement, but students’ use and their rationale for use vary widely.
2. AI usage policies vary widely between and within Kentucky high schools.
3. Most Kentucky high school students say AI hasn't hurt their own critical thinking, but many worry that reliance on AI is eroding problem-solving skills in general.
4. Very few Kentucky high school students say they personally use AI for mental health support, but AI's presence still affects their well-being.

Based on analysis of data and our ongoing researcher reflections, we offer the following recommendations for practice and policy related to AI use in Kentucky high schools.

1. At the school level, co-design with students AI policies that address what is allowed in each class along with when and why. Then, revisit, refine, and enforce those policies consistently and fairly within and across the school.
2. At the school level, provide timely and ongoing professional development for teachers to learn how to use AI responsibly and effectively, so that they can have a deep understanding of its benefits and constraints and make more informed decisions, even as the technology rapidly evolves.
3. Teach students AI literacy, as well as broader information and media literacy. This could be in a required one-off class, or within and across every class– the latter of which our team recommends as best practice because of the known differences in potential use across disciplines.
4. Set clear expectations at the classroom level about the differences between AI use, plagiarism, and cheating. And in doing so, assume the best of students, as all students want and deserve trust from their teachers.