Global standardized test scores hit record lows as AI use in schools surges

Student performance worldwide continues to decline in core subjects—reading and mathematics—according to the latest data released Tuesday from an internationally recognized standardized test. At the same time, the use of artificial intelligence tools for schoolwork has risen significantly among young people, according to The 74.

The 2025 edition of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) confirms a worrying trend already observed in recent years: basic academic skills among students in numerous countries continue to deteriorate, despite massive investments in educational technology. The test, administered periodically to representative samples of students from dozens of countries, is considered one of the most reliable tools for comparing education systems internationally.

A coincidence that raises questions

The timing of this data is significant. The decline in academic performance is occurring at exactly the same time that AI-based tools—from conversational chatbots to homework assistance apps—have become ubiquitous in students' lives, both inside and outside the classroom.

Although the report does not establish a direct causal link between the two phenomena, the timing coincidence is fueling a broader debate about how technology is affecting the actual learning process. Education specialists are questioning whether easy access to automatically generated answers is contributing to an erosion of students' ability to think critically and solve problems independently.

What this means for schools

For education policymakers, this data serves as a warning sign. The rapid introduction of AI into schools, without a solid pedagogical strategy, risks deepening existing gaps rather than closing them. Experts cited by The 74 stress the need for clear policies on the responsible use of these technologies in education.

It remains to be seen whether future rounds of the PISA test will show a reversal of this trend as schools adapt their teaching methods to the reality of artificial intelligence, or whether the decline in fundamental skills will continue to worsen.