Investigation: OPTIMISM OF AI increases, but problems of cheating and confidentiality persist
Artificial intelligence evolves quickly – both in the way it is used and how it is perceived in the education of kindergarten in the 12th year. Consequently, schools and districts undergo increasing pressure to adapt and respond to the modifications that AI conducted.
We interviewed More than 650 district administrators, school administrators and teachers to examine where we are today and where we head with AI. Our results reveal that if AI use and optimism increase, concerns about problems such as cheating and privacy have not disappeared.
Here are five key dishes:
1) More educators use AI, but gaps exist between administrators and teachers.
Overall, enthusiasm for AI is developing. Seventy-nine percent of educators now use AI at least part of the time, compared to 56% in 2025. Administrators, however, always use the AI more than teachers. Fifty-eight percent of district and school administrators often use or always, against only 40% of teachers.
The ways in which they use AI also differ – but only slightly. Administrators mainly use AI to help write written communications, while teachers use it to create teaching materials. The two find that the greatest advantage of AI is reduced time on administrative tasks. The two also find the useful AI for brainstorming, generation of ideas, lesson planning, text translation and data analysis.
2) Problems of cheating and confidentiality are important concerns.
Educators say that students cheat with AI are their biggest challenge. More than three -quarters (78%) are very or somewhat worried about cheating – and for a good reason. More than 60% of educators experienced students who cheat with AI, against 53% last year.
Even if AI is increasingly integrated into the education of kindergarten in the 12th year, privacy is still a concern. In 2025 and 2025, 76% of educators were somewhat or very concerned about AI confidentiality problems.
3) AI policies are more common, but most districts still do not have them.
In 2025, only 20% of schools and districts had AI policies. A year later, this figure doubled at 40%. But that means that a majority still don't have them.
Regarding AI policies, funding and location are important. 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%).
4) Most educators want training on AI, but too few get it.
AI training increases, but not fast enough to meet the needs of educators. The percentage of schools and districts which underwent training on AI increased from 24% in 2025 to 43% in 2025. Although it is a marked improvement, more than half of the educators (51%) always identify a lack of training and support as a key challenge. In addition, 34% of educators have struggled to integrate AI and 25% tools have technical problems.
5) More educators are comfortable with students using AI – but with railing.
Fifty-nine percent of educators are comfortable with their students using AI for school work, against 31% last year. More and more teachers also discuss the appropriate and inappropriate use of AI. In 2025, 64% of teachers spoke of responsible use of AI with their students, against 42% in 2025.
This does not mean, however, that students have general permission to use AI. About half of the educators have imposed partial prohibitions on the use of AI by class, school or district students.
Make the potential of the AI
Overall, confidence in the potential of AI increases. This year, 81% of educators say they are optimistic about the future of AI in education, against 67% last year.
Our research suggests next five stages to make districts and schools continue on an ascending trajectory:
- Develop clear AI policies. Establish guidelines for use for teachers and students who approach academic integrity and data confidentiality. Look for the comments of teachers, students and parents to shape these policies and ensure that they are practical and feasible.
- AI is quickly part of daily life, which means that total prohibitions can do more harm than good. Invest in AI literacy programs To help students use this technology in a responsible and ethical manner.
- Provide structured AI training to teachers. Focus on practical applications such as planning and notation of lessons so that teachers can immediately carry out the advantages. In addition, highlight the advantages for students – such as personalized learning experiences, increased commitment and improved learning results – so that teachers can see how AI can improve daily teaching and learning.
- Use AI to automate repetitive administrative tasks, Like planning or writing emails to save time and reduce professional exhaustion.
- Maintain human surveillance AI can therefore be used to improve rather than replace the essential human aspects of education.
As with any technological tool, the key to progress is collaboration. Working together, administrators, teachers, students, families and solutions providers can shape the future of AI in education to maximize efficiency and support positive results for all.
About the author
Jimmy Brehm is the main vice-president of academic partnerships at Carnegie Learningwho led the “AI state in education 2025“National investigation. He has more than 18 years of experience in public education and previously was a university director, director of programs and education, director and teacher in school districts in Kentucky.

At Learnopoly, Finn has championed a mission to deliver unbiased, in-depth reviews of online courses that empower learners to make well-informed decisions. With over a decade of experience in financial services, he has honed his expertise in strategic partnerships and business development, cultivating both a sharp analytical perspective and a collaborative spirit. A lifelong learner, Finn’s commitment to creating a trusted guide for online education was ignited by a frustrating encounter with biased course reviews.