Survey: AI Optimism Is Rising, but Cheating and Privacy Concerns Persist

• By Jimmy Brehm
• 05/14/25

Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly — both in how it's used and how it's perceived in K-12 education. As a result, schools and districts are under increasing pressure to adapt and respond to the changes AI is driving.

We surveyed more than 650 district administrators, school administrators, and teachers to look at where we are today and where we're headed with AI. Our findings reveal that while AI usage and optimism are growing, concerns about issues such as cheating and privacy have not gone away.

Here are five key takeaways:

1) More educators use AI, but gaps exist between administrators and teachers.

Overall, enthusiasm for AI is growing. Seventy-nine percent of educators now use AI at least some of the time, compared to 56% in 2024. Administrators, however, still use AI more than teachers. Fifty-eight percent of district and school administrators use AI often or always, compared to only 40% of teachers.

The ways they use AI differ, too — but only slightly. Administrators primarily use AI to help draft written communications, while teachers use it to craft teaching materials. Both find the biggest benefit of AI to be reduced time on administrative tasks. Both also find AI useful for brainstorming, generating ideas, lesson planning, translating text, and analyzing data.

2) Cheating and privacy issues are significant concerns.

Educators say student cheating with AI is their biggest challenge. More than three-quarters (78%) are very or somewhat worried about cheating — and for good reason. Over 60% of educators have experienced students cheating with AI, up from 53% last year.

Even though AI is increasingly becoming integrated into K-12 education, privacy is still a concern. In both 2024 and 2025, 76% of educators were somewhat or very concerned about AI privacy issues.

3) AI policies are more common, but most districts still don't have one.

In 2024, only 20% of schools and districts had AI policies. One year later, that figure doubled to 40%. But this means a majority still don't have one.

When it comes to AI policies, funding and location matter. Only 34% of Title I schools and districts have an official AI policy, compared to 46% of non-Title I schools and districts. Rural schools and districts (31%) are also less likely to have an AI policy than suburban (44%) or urban (45%) ones.

4) Most educators want AI training, but too few are getting it. 

AI training is increasing, but not fast enough to suit educators' needs. The percentage of schools and districts that have provided AI training jumped from 24% in 2024 to 43% in 2025. While this is a marked improvement, more than half of educators (51%) still identify a lack of training and support as a key challenge. In addition, 34% of educators have had difficulty integrating AI tools, and 25% have experienced technical issues.

5) More educators are comfortable with students using AI — but with guardrails.

Fifty-nine percent of educators are comfortable with their students using AI for schoolwork, compared to 31% last year. More teachers are also discussing the proper and improper uses of AI. In 2025, 64% of teachers talked about responsible AI usage with their students, up from 42% in 2024.

That doesn't mean, however, that students have blanket permission to use AI. Approximately half of educators have imposed partial bans on AI use by students at the classroom, school, or district levels.

Realizing the Potential of AI

Overall, confidence in AI's potential is growing. This year, 81% of educators say they are optimistic about the future of AI in education, compared to 67% last year.

Our research suggests five actionable next steps for districts and schools to continue on an upward trajectory:

• Develop clear AI policies. Establish usage guidelines for teachers and students that address academic integrity and data privacy. Seek input from teachers, students, and parents to shape these policies and ensure they're practical and doable.
• AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, which means that total bans may do more harm than good. Invest in AI literacy programs to help students use this technology responsibly and ethically.
• Provide structured AI training for teachers. Focus on practical applications like lesson planning and grading so teachers can immediately realize the benefits. Also, highlight the benefits to students — such as personalized learning experiences, increased engagement, and enhanced learning outcomes — so teachers can see how AI can improve day-to-day teaching and learning.
• Use AI to automate repetitive administrative tasks, like scheduling or drafting e-mails, to save time and reduce burnout.
• Maintain human oversight so AI can be leveraged to enhance rather than replace the essential human aspects of education.

 
As with any technology tool, the key to progress is collaboration. Working together, administrators, teachers, students, families, and solution providers can shape the future of AI in education to maximize efficiency and support positive outcomes for all.