EdCircuit Staff 
High school students are heavy users of AI. In 2025, 54 percent of teens had used chatbots to help with schoolwork, according to the Pew Research Center, and the share using ChatGPT for schoolwork had doubled in a year. High school is where AI can help most with demanding work, from research papers and AP courses to lab reports and college applications, and where students most need to learn to use it honestly.
This list covers ten AI tools high school students and teachers use, what each does, and the age, privacy and price details to check before using it.
Before you choose an AI tool for high school
- Age and consent. Most AI tools require users to be at least 13, and several require a parent’s permission for anyone under 18. One tool on this list is for adults only.
- School agreements. Tools used for classwork should be covered by the district’s student data privacy agreement where possible.
- Course rules. Students should know which assignments allow AI and how to disclose it. Only 18 percent of teachers said in 2026 that they get formal guidance on AI, so rules often vary from class to class.
10 AI tools for high school students
1. ChatGPT
OpenAI’s chatbot helps with brainstorming, explaining concepts, checking reasoning and giving feedback on writing. Its terms require users to be at least 13 and to have a parent’s or guardian’s permission if under 18. A free plan is available. For schools, OpenAI offers ChatGPT for Teachers, free for verified U.S. K–12 educators through June 2028; it is a teacher product, not a student one.
How a class might use it: students testing a thesis statement against counterarguments before writing an essay.
2. Scite
Scite helps users find scientific research and see whether later studies support or contradict a claim, using what it calls Smart Citations. Users under 13 are prohibited by its terms. There is no free plan, only a seven-day trial, with paid plans from $12 a month and student discounts on request (pricing).
How a class might use it: students checking whether the sources for a research paper hold up.
3. Perplexity
Perplexity is an AI search tool that answers questions with links to its sources. Users must be 13 or older, and a parent or guardian accepts the terms for a minor. There is a free plan and an Education Pro plan for verified students and educators at $10 a month.
How a class might use it: a debate team gathering evidence and then reading the sources it cites.
4. Khanmigo
Khanmigo is Khan Academy’s AI tutor for students and assistant for teachers. Its teacher tools are free for U.S. teachers. Classroom access for students comes through a school or district plan, which Khan Academy prices at $10 per student per year for up to 1,000 students.
How a class might use it: AP students working through practice problems with the tutor before an exam.
5. Trinka
Trinka is a grammar and writing assistant for academic and technical writing, with a free basic plan. Its privacy policy says the company does not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18 and asks users under 18 not to submit any, so it is suited to teachers and adult students rather than most high schoolers.
How a teacher might use it: checking the clarity of technical writing in a lab report template.
6. Scholarcy
Scholarcy summarizes research articles and turns them into flashcards. It has a free article summarizer with limited use and a paid plan at $9.99 a month. Its terms describe a business-style contract and do not address school use.
How a class might use it: students in an advanced social science class getting an overview of a study before reading it in full.
7. Elicit
Elicit is an AI research assistant that searches more than 138 million academic papers and helps summarize findings. Its free Basic plan includes unlimited search, with paid plans from $49 a month. Its terms set a minimum age of 13 but also describe under-13 use with a parent’s account, so schools should check with the company.
How a class might use it: seniors doing the literature review for a capstone or extended essay.
8. Notion AI
Notion is a workspace for notes and projects, with AI features for summarizing and drafting. The free Plus plan for students and educators includes Notion AI only as a trial; full AI features come with the Business plan. Notion’s privacy policy says its services are not directed at children.
How a class might use it: students tracking college application deadlines and essay drafts.
9. Otter.ai
Otter records and transcribes speech. Users must be at least 13, and anyone recording others is responsible for getting their consent. The free plan includes 300 transcription minutes a month, and students and teachers get a discount on Pro.
How a class might use it: a teacher transcribing seminar discussions for review.
10. Gradescope
Gradescope is a grading platform that teachers and schools set up, not a tool students choose. Its AI groups similar answers so a teacher can grade them together, a feature available only with the paid Institutional license; the Basic plan is free. Students benefit through faster, more consistent grading and feedback from their teacher. The company relies on schools to obtain any required parental consent.
How a class might use it: a physics teacher grading a set of problem solutions faster and returning them sooner.
Using AI well in high school
- For students: use AI to understand, practice and check your work, not to produce work you hand in as your own. Check facts and sources, because AI can be wrong.
- For teachers: say clearly which assignments allow AI, ask students to disclose how they used it, and avoid relying on AI detectors, which misjudge writing by non-native English speakers especially often.
- For parents: ask which tools the school approves and whether they are covered by a privacy agreement, since several require your permission for students under 18.
Related reading
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