7 teens split on AI: helpful tutor or threat to thinking?

On July 14, 2026, NPR published an interview series asking seven teenagers across the United States how they feel about artificial intelligence—a question with no simple answer.

For some, AI has become a trusted learning companion. Charles Ansevin, 15, of Gates Mills, Ohio, described ChatGPT as "like a friend," noting "we've been able to have very meaningful, you know, intelligent discussions." Tessa Klein, 18, a recent high school graduate from Oradell, New Jersey, praised AI for providing essay feedback and walking her through complex science concepts. She framed the technology optimistically: "I think it's just this opportunity to have sort of like a private tutor that maybe other students cannot have or cannot afford." This perspective highlights a potential equity angle—AI as a tool that levels access to educational resources some peers might never otherwise afford.

Other teenagers expressed deep reservations. Dorian Prado, 16, of Fort Worth, Texas, stated he is "very against AI." His concern is philosophical: "It makes it to where thinking is optional, and that should never be the case. You don't think, you don't learn. It's making us dumber." For Dammie'on McColley, 18, of Indianapolis, the worry extends beyond education to economic survival. "I don't want it to, you know, kind of throw off jobs and things like that," he said. "That's [people's] only way of bringing in income to feed their families. And if we have a machinery that's taking over that, then what are they going to do?"

NPR also spoke with Ethan Ansevin of Gates Mills, Rida Desai of River Edge, New Jersey, and Natalie Vadakkan of Oradell, New Jersey—bringing the total to seven teenagers. The full audio story, produced by Lauren Migaki and Janet Woojeong Lee and edited by Nicole Cohen, allows listeners to hear directly from the teens themselves. The reporting was supported by the Omidyar Network's Reporters in Residence program.

The article captures a pivotal moment in youth culture: generative AI has arrived as a learning tool during formative years, yet teenagers hold conflicting views about its value and risk. The divide in the interviews reflects broader adult debates about AI's appropriate use, but from the perspective of those who will live longest with its consequences.

Three distinct concerns surface in the teenagers' responses. On one end, some see AI as democratizing access to educational support—Klein's framing of it as an affordable private tutor highlights potential benefits for students without resources for paid tutoring. On the other end, Prado's critique targets what he views as cognitive atrophy (the fear that outsourcing thinking to AI erodes learning itself), while McColley raises material concerns about employment and family welfare. These are not abstract concerns: they reflect real anxieties about how AI reshapes both intellectual development and economic security.

The reporting was supported by the Omidyar Network's Reporters in Residence program, and the full interviews are available in audio form, allowing readers to hear directly from the teenagers themselves rather than through paraphrase alone.

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!