• Only 57 per cent of teachers have clear rules on the use of AI at their school
• One in two teachers feels overwhelmed by AI
• 70 per cent believe that pupils’ use of AI is virtually impossible to control

A poor mark in a test or for an essay – perhaps awarded by AI rather than the teacher? One in five teachers (20 per cent) uses AI to mark assignments and exams. Seven per cent of teachers report having used AI for marking without checking the result. Overall, 58 per cent of teachers use artificial intelligence for educational purposes. These are the findings of a representative survey of 501 teachers at lower and upper secondary schools in Germany, commissioned by the digital industry association Bitkom.

It is not only teachers but also pupils who are making use of AI at school – and this poses challenges for teachers: 70 per cent say that pupils’ use of AI is almost impossible to control. Consequently, around one in eight teachers (12 per cent) state that they even deliberately allow the use of AI in examination situations. Transparency is fundamentally important to teachers: 92 per cent believe that pupils should be required to indicate when they have used AI for schoolwork.

Overall, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the use of AI in schools. Only just over half of teachers (57 per cent) report having clear rules on the use of AI at their school. And 51 per cent feel overwhelmed by AI. “AI has long been part of everyday school life. This makes it all the more important to have practical rules on when its use is permitted and even encouraged, and when it is not – for pupils as well as for teachers. Such guidelines provide certainty and enable the responsible use of AI,” says Bitkom President Dr Ralf Wintergerst.

Despite the challenges, many teachers also associate AI with the hope of a reduced workload: one in two teachers (50 per cent) would like to see AI applications that support them with routine tasks. The use of AI in education is likely only just beginning: around one-fifth of teachers (19 per cent) believe that AI will fundamentally change the role of schools and teachers. Wintergerst: “AI can make learning more personalised and noticeably reduce the workload for teachers. To make better use of this potential right now, schools need suitable applications and teachers need the necessary skills – achieved by firmly embedding AI in teacher training and providing ongoing, practice-oriented professional development.”

Note on methodology: The figures are based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital industry association Bitkom. A total of 501 teachers at lower and upper secondary level were interviewed by telephone at secondary modern schools, schools offering multiple educational pathways, secondary schools, grammar schools, integrated comprehensive schools and Waldorf schools. The survey took place between calendar weeks 22 and 26 of 2026. The survey is representative. The questions asked were: “Do you use AI for educational purposes?” and “To what extent have you already used AI for educational purposes?”, as well as “Which of the following statements do you agree or disagree with, or which do you think apply to you?”.