US Student Reading Scores Hit Near 25-Year Low as AI Use Rises

Reading performance among 15-year-old students in the United States has plummeted to a near 25-year low, according to the latest PISA 2025 assessment. The findings, released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), suggest a deepening crisis in adolescent literacy that coincides with the rapid integration of generative AI in classrooms.

The data paints a grim picture of global literacy trends. Between 2015 and 2025, average reading scores across OECD member countries fell by 28 points. In the United States, the decline has been particularly sharp, with official PISA 2025 data indicating that reading scores dropped 14 points since 2022. Despite this slide, American students continue to outperform the overall OECD average in reading and science.

The AI Shortcut

This decline arrives as AI chatbots become staples of the student experience. The OECD reports that nearly half—approximately 46%—of students in member countries now use AI chatbots weekly or more frequently to assist with their learning. However, the data suggests this assistance may come at a cost to actual proficiency. The report found that students who avoided using AI to draft text for writing assignments consistently outperformed those who relied on the technology.

Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, warns that the ease of these tools may be eroding the fundamental mechanics of education. According to Schleicher, true learning is derived from a "cognitive struggle," a process of mental effort and synthesis that is often bypassed when AI is used to complete schoolwork. Yvette Renteria, Chief Program Officer at Common Sense Media, echoed this sentiment, stating that the technology "absolutely shortcuts the learning process."

Implications for Critical Thinking

The erosion of these scores suggests a potential long-term deficit in intellectual independence. Educators argue that if students use AI as a crutch to avoid the effort of synthesizing information and drafting original thoughts, they may fail to develop the critical thinking skills necessary for higher-level literacy. This shift could fundamentally alter how the next generation processes complex information, moving from active analysis to passive consumption.

The Path Forward

The current trend is exacerbated by a reported lack of formal guidance for teachers on how to manage AI tools effectively in the classroom. As the OECD continues its triennial assessments across approximately 90 countries, the focus is shifting toward how to integrate technology without sacrificing the cognitive rigor required for literacy. For now, the gap between AI usage and academic performance remains a primary concern for policymakers seeking to reverse the decade-long slide in global reading scores.