When asked 'Can I use AI for my summer homework?' - Summer homework and generative AI | 2 News #007
'Can I have AI do my summer homework for me?'
This summer, some families may have heard this question from their children. When I looked into it, I found that opinions were clearly divided even among adults. The division wasn't about 'whether or not it should be used,' but rather 'which homework assignments it is okay to use it for.'
Today, we have two news stories on 'Summer homework and generative AI.'
We will be comparing the perspectives of two experts featured in the Asahi Shimbun on July 21.
In a survey of 722 parents of elementary school students, 37.7% of children were already using generative AI, and the number one use case was school homework. 42.1% of parents answered that using it for homework is 'okay.' However, when asked about specific types of homework, 67.0% approved of using it for deciding on a theme for independent research, while that number dropped to 32.7% for book reports. The line drawn by the two experts was divided in the same place.
On note, we deliver 'these three' questions to help you discuss trending news with your children. In the second half, we also cover English and Japanese language learning (2-news.com).
One fact
The figures used here are based on a survey released on July 24, 2026, by the AI-related company SHIFT AI. They surveyed 722 parents of children in grades 1 through 6 across the country. The subjects were parents of elementary school students, not middle school students.
The survey found that 37.7% of elementary school students were using generative AI. Among children who use it, the number one purpose was 'school homework' at 56.0%.
Furthermore, 42.1% of parents answered that using AI for summer homework is 'okay.' This did not reach a majority.
However, when asked about different types of homework, the answers changed significantly. The most accepted use was 'deciding on a theme or brainstorming ideas for independent research' at 67.0%, followed by 'explaining problems they don't understand' at 64.1%. On the other hand, it dropped to 32.7% for 'book reports' and 31.3% for 'essays/diaries.'
The same parents are changing their answers depending on the type of homework. They are okay with delegating research tasks. They do not want to delegate the task of thinking and writing for themselves. This line is reflected in the numbers.
The perspective of 'teaching how to use it'
On July 21, the Asahi Shimbun interviewed two experts on this issue. The first is brain researcher Yuji Ikegaya.
Ikegaya's starting point was the recognition that it cannot be banned. He says he was surprised when his eldest daughter, then a sixth-grader, told him, 'All my friends are having ChatGPT write their graduation anthologies.' He argues that if someone told you not to wear glasses or not to ride in a car, you would be surprised at the absurdity, and generative AI is the same.
In that case, there is no choice but to teach proper usage. He says the one thing he tells his daughter is to ask AI 'how' to do something, not 'what' to do. Instead of asking for the answer itself, try doing it yourself first, and when you hit a wall, ask for guidance on how to proceed. He suggests that for book reports, you should write it yourself first, and then have the AI write a few patterns to compare.
However, Ikegaya also states that completely offloading homework to AI is absolutely not okay. This is because cognitive function is like a muscle, and how much you struggle to train it is what matters.
The perspective of 'not allowing it into the thinking process'
The second expert is cognitive neuroscientist Kuniyoshi Sakai. He says that 'AI must not be allowed to intervene at all' in children's essays or independent research.
This position is not a recent one. Three years ago, on July 27, 2023, in a dialogue with author Kunio Yanagida published by the Yomiuri Shimbun Education Network, he stated that he had a very strong sense of crisis regarding the casual use of generative AI. He also noted that when students write essays, it is impossible to tell if they really wrote them themselves, if they used a little AI, or if the AI wrote the whole thing.
Other concerns are emerging from the school front. According to the Education Shimbun's report on the 'Education AI Summit' held on August 7, examples were introduced of high school freshmen using AI for essay proofreading and Eiken writing preparation. At the same event, a senior policy analyst from the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills introduced a study where, after having students write essays using generative AI and asking them to cite from their own work, over 80% of the students could not remember the content and could not provide citations.
Another survey shows figures close to this sentiment. In a survey of parents released by DeltaX on August 6, only 9% of households planned to use AI for independent research projects, while 63% did not use it at all. Compared to the previous survey where 67.0% approved of using AI to decide on a theme for independent research, it is clear that approving of it and actually having them use it are two different things. Since the survey organizers and the questions differ, they cannot be compared simply, but the size of the gap cannot be ignored.
Two perspectives
There is some overlap in what the two people are saying. Both agree that leaving everything to AI is not okay. They also share the premise that children who want to use it will use it.
Where they differ is where they draw the line. Mr. Ikeya tries to prevent total reliance by teaching how to use it. Mr. Sakai tries to prevent it by not allowing AI to touch the thinking process itself.
The line was drawn between the task of researching and the task of writing it yourself. The position just differs slightly depending on the person.
Three things to talk about with your child
Here are some examples of questions you can use as a starting point when talking to your child about AI and homework.
Between independent research and book reports, which one do you think more adults said 'it's okay to use AI' for?
→ 67.0% for deciding on a theme for independent research, and 32.7% for book reports; there is more than a twofold difference.Even though it's the same homework, why does the answer to whether it's okay to use AI change depending on the type?
→ The task of researching versus the task of thinking and writing for yourself. When you look at the types of homework divided in this way, the answer to whether it is okay to use AI changes, doesn't it?If you were a school teacher, for which homework would you allow the use of AI?
→ Having them take on the role of the decision-maker conveys the difficulty of drawing that line.
Today's English
Eiken Grade 4
Some students use AI to do their homework.
(Some students use AI to do their homework.)
Vocabulary: homework
'Homework' is an uncountable noun. We do not say 'a homework' or 'homeworks'. To say 'I have a lot of homework,' we say 'a lot of homework'.
Eiken Grade 3
Parents are divided about whether children should use AI for homework.
(Parents are divided about whether children should use AI for homework.)
Idiom: be divided (opinions are split)
'Divide' means to separate, and 'be divided' comes from 'being separated,' which means 'opinions are split.' This is a way of expressing the news story itself.
The 'Two News' website introduces not only vocabulary but also grammar and content for Eiken Pre-2.
Japanese Language
What can be said from the difference in numbers?
In the same survey, when items with significantly different percentages are listed, the difference itself becomes a fact. In this case, 67.0% for deciding on a research project theme and 32.7% for book reports. The difference is about 34 percentage points. From this, we can infer that 'the number of people who think it is acceptable to delegate tasks differs between research work and writing work yourself.' The trick to reading data is not to look at the numbers one by one, but to compare them side-by-side and look at the differences.
Check Question
67.0% answered that it is 'okay to use' AI for deciding on a research project theme, while 32.7% said so for book reports. Try writing a single sentence about what can be inferred from this difference.
(Example Answer) Many people think it is okay to delegate research tasks, but do not want to delegate tasks that require thinking and writing on one's own.
The '2 News' site also introduces tips for reading comprehension in Japanese.
We deliver articles comparing news and content for English and basic learning twice a week. We would be happy if you could follow us.
Sources (Referenced News)
Asahi Shimbun, 'If you were doing summer homework with AI... Experts consider 'how to talk to them' and what is off-limits,' July 21, 2026
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASV7K538ZV7KUHBI02DM.html
Nikkei, 'Don't let them 'dump' summer homework on AI: Google provides hints, not answers,' July 17, 2026
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC143RI0U6A710C2000000/
Kyobun, 'Generative AI use in schools: The conflict of young people who feel 'it's a loss not to use it',' August 7, 2026
https://www.kyobun.co.jp/article/2026080702
Yomiuri Shimbun Education Network, 'Kunio Yanagita x Kuniyoshi Sakai, Generative AI Special Dialogue, Full Version... Use in education is 'high risk',' July 27, 2023
https://kyoiku.yomiuri.co.jp/katsuji/etc/contents/post-850.php
SHIFT AI, '[Survey of 722 elementary school parents] This summer, 40% say AI is 'okay' for homework. However, 'no' for book reports and essays,' July 24, 2026
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000277.000116644.html
DeltaX, 'AI use for independent research is a minority - yet over 80% say 'I want children to learn AI from elementary school' [Parent Survey],' August 6, 2026
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000145.000116808.html
Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Survey (CBC 'Is generative AI okay or not for children's 'summer homework'?') July 10, 2026
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/cbc/2793028
MEXT, 'Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in Elementary and Secondary Education (Ver. 2.0),' December 26, 2024
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/other/mext_02412.html
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