6 min - Is Doing Homework With AI Cheating? Teachers Say: It Depends.
- Can a Teacher Tell If a Child’s Homework Was Done With AI?
- AI in Schools: Opportunity or Risk?
- How to Help Your Child Use AI for English Homework
- Using AI for homework isn’t automatically cheating — it depends on how it’s used.
- According to a survey of 130+ NovaKid teachers, most see AI as a helpful tool when it supports learning rather than replacing it.
- AI works best as a tutor or coach, helping children understand mistakes, practice skills, and think critically.
- If AI does the work for the child, learning stops and homework loses its value.
- Teachers can often tell when homework relies too much on AI, but what matters most is real understanding and progress.
- Most teachers see AI in schools as an opportunity, but warn that overuse can reduce independence and motivation.
- With guidance from parents and teachers, AI can support English learning — but it can’t replace human interaction and teaching.
Your child is using Chatgpt to do their homework and you are not sure what to do. Is it cheating? Or is it a tool he should learn to use? To understand this better, we asked 130 Novakid English teachers in different countries what they think about children using AI in education. Here’s what they told us.
The short answer is: it depends. If children use AI to do their homework instead of them, then yes, it is a problem. In that case, they’re not really learning. But if they use AI as a tutor—to help them understand a difficult maths problem or quiz themselves on the French Revolution—the situation changes completely. Used this way, AI is not cheating.
Used correctly, AI can act like a personal tutor. AI can explain concepts in a clearer way, answer questions, check understanding, and help children learn more independently. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of AI in education, according to Novakid teachers, and how to teach your child to use AI the right way.
Is Doing Homework With AI Cheating? Teachers Say: It Depends.
First of all, our teachers believe that homework is important for learning. We asked: Can a child learn English without doing homework? And 81% of our teachers said that homework is necessary to learn English. At Novakid, homework is always assigned after a class, but it does not require pen and paper—only interactive activities and online games. So kids don’t even realize they are doing homework.
Having established that homework is important, we then asked our core question:
Is doing homework with AI cheating? Only 15% of Novakid teachers answered with a clear yes. The vast majority think that AI can be a tool and that it depends on how it is used.
The answers were far from black and white. The largest group said “Not really—it can be a helpful tool if used wisely”, while a significant number chose “It depends on how much the child relies on AI.”
What comes through very clearly is that how AI is used matters more than whether it’s used at all. Many teachers explained that AI can support learning—as long as it doesn’t replace thinking. One teacher put it this way:
“It is crucial that children still practice critical and analytical thinking skills, which can otherwise be replaced by AI. If there are restrictions on using AI for homework—such as using it only for research purposes and not to fully answer the questions—then I think it is fine.”
Another teacher highlighted the importance of understanding, not just copying:
“They must make sure they understand what the AI is producing. You can use AI to find a word, but then make sure you understand it.”
If AI does all the work, learning stops. That’s why so many responses came back to the same idea: AI is fine as support, not as a shortcut. Using AI isn’t cheating if it helps a child learn, think, and understand. It becomes a problem only when it replaces effort, curiosity, and independent thinking.
Different prompts lead to very different learning outcomes. If a child asks: “Write a 300-word essay on climate change.” or “Solve this maths problem.” they are asking AI to do the work for them and very little learning happens.
Prompts like: “Explain why this answer is wrong”, “Quiz me on climate change based on this text.”, “Explain this in a simpler way.” use AI as a learning support. The child is still doing the thinking and AI acts more like a tutor than a shortcut.
Can a Teacher Tell If a Child’s Homework Was Done With AI?
We asked teachers if they could tell if a child used AI in their homework. And yes, according to nearly 70% of teachers, it’s usually possible to notice when homework was done with the help of AI. Teachers often recognise it when the language sounds too perfect or very different from a child’s usual level.
But when we look at the teachers’ comments more closely, one message comes through very clearly: that’s not what really matters. What counts most is whether the child has actually learned something. As one teacher shared:
“For me, I will not judge if it comes from AI work or not. What matters is whether the child is really learning.”
Another teacher pointed out that real learning shows up beyond homework, for example when teachers ask follow-up or personalised questions and see how a child uses English in class.
In other words, even if teachers can often tell when AI is being used, the focus with children shouldn’t be on catching them, but on progress, understanding, and confidence. Homework is just one piece of the puzzle, and real learning happens when children can listen, understand, and use English for meaningful, real-life communication.
AI in Schools: Opportunity or Risk?
When asked if AI is good or bad, and about the role of artificial intelligence in education, most Novakid teachers see it as a positive opportunity, as long as it’s used in the right way.
In fact, 51% of respondents said that AI “expands the ways of learning and creates new opportunities”. Many teachers described AI as a helpful tool that can make learning more engaging, creative, and flexible.
At the same time, a significant number of teachers also expressed concerns. Around one third of respondents (32,1%) felt that AI can “make students lazy and less independent” if it’s overused or used without guidance. One teacher summed it up well:
“It can be beneficial if used judiciously, but overreliance can foster dependency.”
What emerges from the teachers’comments is a balanced view. Many teachers explicitly said that AI has both pros and cons and that its impact depends on how it’s introduced and supported. Some highlighted the importance of guidance, especially with children:
“If students were provided with the proper way to use AI, it would be a great help.”
Overall, teachers don’t see AI as good or bad by default. They see it as a tool that can help children learn more, feel more confident, and stay curious, as long as it’s used with guidance, balance, and a strong focus on real learning.
How to Help Your Child Use AI for English Homework
To come back to the question we started with: yes, you can let your child use AI when doing homework, as long as it helps them learn rather than do the work for them. Here are a few smart, teacher-approved ways children can use AI while still doing the thinking themselves.
- Use AI as a coach, not an answer machine
“Don’t give me the answer. Guide me step by step like a teacher.”
“Help me fix this sentence without rewriting it for me.”
“Can you ask me questions to help me find the right answer?” - Practice pronunciation and sounding natural
“How do you pronounce this word? Can you break it into syllables?”
“Does this sentence sound natural? How would a native speaker say it?” - Create personalised quizzes
“Quiz me on past simple vs present perfect.”
“Ask me one question at a time and correct me after I answer.” - Ask for explanations
“Explain this grammar topic as if I were 6 years old.”
“Explain this rule using two simple examples.”
“Why is this tense used here?” - Use AI for brainstorming and structure
“Help me organise my ideas into an introduction, body, and conclusion.”
“What points should I include in this paragraph?”
“Can you help me plan this essay without writing it?” - Get instant feedback on mistakes
“Check my work and explain what I did wrong.”
“What grammar rule did I make a mistake with?”
“Can you correct this sentence and explain the correction?”
AI can ask questions, correct answers, and help with pronunciation and grammar. It can be a valuable tool when learning languages. But it cannot replace a human teacher. Learning is not a solo activity, it happens through interaction. Children learn best when they feel seen and motivated, and this comes from a relationship with a teacher who supports and inspires them.
Discover how Novakid English teachers help children feel confident and motivated about learning English. Book a free trial lesson and let your child experience English with a native-speaking teacher on our interactive platform.
