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As A.I. adoption in classrooms grows and AMC faces backlash over an A.I.-created short, how will leaders close the A.I. Literacy gap?

A new report shows that consumers are skeptical about A.I., highlighting a growing gap between what adults think and the skills students need

The Gist: According to a recent survey by Circana, 86% of U.S. adults are aware that A.I. is built into today’s technology devices, yet 35% say they’re not interested in having A.I. on their own. Nearly two-thirds of that group believe they simply don’t need it, viewing A.I. as a “nice-to-have” rather than essential.

Meanwhile, students are growing up in a world where A.I. is already embedded in their devices, their assignments, and their everyday experiences. That disconnect matters. When adults question the value of A.I., it naturally shapes how it’s discussed, or avoided, in classrooms and at home.

So the real question becomes: How do we equip students to navigate A.I. confidently and responsibly when many of the adults guiding them are still trying to make sense of it themselves?

What to Know: Circana’s report shows that hesitation around A.I. goes deeper than simple disinterest. Among those who aren’t interested, 59% cite privacy concerns, and 43% don’t want to pay extra for A.I. features. And interest isn’t evenly distributed: 82% of 18–24-year-olds are eager to use A.I. tools, while enthusiasm steadily declines among older age groups.

Students are growing up right in the middle of this divide. Pew Research Center reports that 64% of teens use chatbots, with three in ten using them daily. Many students are curious and engaged with A.I.-powered tools, even as the adults around them express hesitation.

That gap makes alignment essential. When families, educators, and students don’t share a common understanding of A.I., confusion and mixed messages follow. Building shared language and digital literacy around A.I. has never been more important.

TSI’s Take: Educators can empower students to navigate mixed messages about A.I. tools by helping them explore privacy settings, be intentional with the tools they choose to explore, and remind students that they don’t have to use A.I. if it is stressful, creates pressures, or doesn’t align with their values.

Educators can equip students with practical skills by:

• Teaching privacy-first habits: Walk students through privacy settings, data sharing practices, and how A.I. systems use information. 
• Reducing pressure to use A.I.: Reinforce that A.I. is a tool, not a requirement, and students have the power to opt out of it. 

Through #WinAtSocial, you can guide students to understand A.I.’s role in everyday tech and digital literacy. Want to learn more? Check out our #WinAtSocial Lessons like A.I. for everyday help to learn how we can use A.I. to make lives better without letting it do everything for us.

AMC Theaters pulls A.I.-generated short film after backlash

The Gist: An A.I.-generated film, Thanksgiving Day, was set to hit AMC Theatres nationwide as part of its pre-show programming. However, after facing online criticism from audiences concerned about A.I. replacing human creatives, AMC announced it will no longer stream the short film. This moment highlights a real-world debate unfolding in industries many students hope to enter. How should A.I. be used in creative work?

What to Know: The short film, which follows a bear and his platypus assistant traveling through space, earned a nationwide pre-show slot through the Frame Forward A.I. Animated Film Festival. It was created using A.I. tools, including Gemini 3.1 and Nano Banana Pro. Thanksgiving Day would have appeared through pre-show content managed by Screenvision Media, the company that handles advertising and short-form content before movies begin. AMC was planning to allow the film to screen, but after seeing backlash from audiences who argued that showcasing A.I.-generated films could sideline human storytellers, AMC chose not to participate in screening the short at all. 

A.I. isn’t just changing how students complete assignments; it’s reshaping entire industries they may one day lead. In fields like filmmaking and media production, conversations around authorship, ethics, and job displacement are already underway. Research from McKinsey & Company suggests A.I. adoption could even redistribute as much as $60 billion in industry revenue within five years.

For K–12 educators, this matters. Today’s students are preparing for careers in industries being actively transformed by A.I., in which skills like ethical judgment, adaptability, media literacy, and the ability to collaborate with A.I., not compete against it, are essential. 

TSI’s Take: As students grow up in a world where careers could be shaped by A.I., classrooms are where students can practice thinking critically about authorship, originality, bias, and responsible innovation. Based on the widespread criticism on social media protesting the inclusion of A.I.-generated content in commercial cinemas, it’s clear that students recognize the importance of human creativity when it comes to art, music, and movies. 

Ways teachers can foster student creativity in the age of A.I.:

• Ethical innovation & creative integrity: Evaluate when and how technology should be used in creative work by weighing authorship, originality, transparency, and fairness to human creators.
• Media literacy & industry awareness: Analyze how emerging technology shifts industries, public perception, and workforce opportunities, and what that means for future careers.

Explore how A.I. can support, not replace, human creativity in student projects with the #WinAtSocial Lesson, A.I. and human creativity that empowers students to consider when A.I. can assist (like brainstorming or outlining) and where human originality must lead, reinforcing academic integrity and creative ownership.

Are classrooms (and students) smarter with A.I.?

The Gist: According to Microsoft, A.I. isn’t just creeping into classrooms, it’s accelerating. Education is among the fastest-growing sectors adopting A.I. tools. In fact, adoption is so rapid that the global A.I. education market reached $7.75 billion in 2025 and is projected to surpass $112 billion by 2034. A.I. tools will increasingly shape the software students use and the assignments they complete, which makes it essential for educators to understand how these tools affect learning and guide students in using these tools thoughtfully and responsibly.

What to Know: A report from the Center for Democracy and Technology found that 85% of teachers and 86% of students used A.I. during the 2024-25 school year. The study showed some major gains, as A.I. boosted test scores by 62% and course completion by 70%. Students used A.I. tools to help with language barriers, practice questions, and clarify difficult concepts. Moreover, 69% of teachers report improved teaching, highlighting its role in personalized learning and preparing students for an A.I.-driven workforce.

A.I is shaping how students learn, complete assignments, and build workforce-ready skills. However, research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development shows performance boosts don’t always equal deeper learning when A.I. supports are removed. How students integrate A.I. will determine whether students truly develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills or just rely on technology for short-term gains. That tension places educators at the center of an important balance between leveraging A.I.’s efficiency while protecting authentic student growth.

TSI’s Take: A.I. can be a powerful tool, both for educators who want to streamline their work and students who want to study more efficiently to strengthen their test scores. As A.I. continues to enter classrooms, it’s important to recognize that when students are equipped with A.I. Literacy skills to navigate this tech intentionally, they can support their learning and academic success, and prevent reputation-damaging mistakes like plagiarism.

Here are a couple of tips to help you get started in creating a framework that integrates A.I. Literacy into learning, but doesn’t replace it:

• Enforce the idea that A.I. can check understanding, not replace effort: Ask for explanations of concepts, practice questions, or feedback on their thinking, after they have already done the work.
• Skill-building practice: Generate additional quizzes, vocabulary drills, or step-by-step walkthroughs to strengthen mastery.

To fully leverage A.I. in the classroom, educators themselves need opportunities to develop A.I. fluency. In addition to #WinAtSocial A.I. Literacy Lessons for students, The Social Institute’s self-paced PD courses allow educators to dive into A.I., empowering them to teach with confidence. 

The rise of A.I. in schools is giving students new tools and new choices about how they learn and create. With 86% of students already using A.I. during the school year, they can harness it to boost learning, spark creativity, and prepare for the real world. Explore The Socia Institute’s positive and proactive approach to A.I. Literacy through lessons for students and PD for educators that equip teachers and students with the tools they need to use A.I. smartly and confidently. Ready to learn more? Request more info here.

The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students, families, and educators with modern life skills to impact learning, well-being, and students’ futures. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we integrate teacher PD, family resources, student voice insights, and more to empower entire school communities to make positive choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain a healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process, we create lessons for a variety of core and elective classes, incorporating timely topics such as social media, A.I., screen time, misinformation, and current events to help schools stay proactive in supporting student health, happiness, and academic success.