Italy’s 2026 high school graduation exam is shaping up to be the first major test of how artificial intelligence is reshaping education. According to a survey by education platform Skuola.net, three out of four graduating students now use AI chatbots to support their studies, with almost half relying on them every day.

In just two years, the use of tools such as ChatGPT has nearly doubled. Yet the most significant change is not how often students use AI, but how they use it.

Where chatbots were once mainly associated with completing assignments on students’ behalf, they are now increasingly employed as learning aids. Most users turn to AI to prepare for oral exams and written tests by requesting explanations, summaries and revision notes. Others use it to generate ideas, explore complex topics or practise through quizzes and mock questions.

Traditional uses, however, have not disappeared. More than a third of students admit they still rely on AI to solve exercises or draft essays and reports, while others use it to translate texts or proofread their work.