Career guidance has long relied on a stable trio: parents, teachers, and guidance counselors. However, a new study conducted among 5,095 high school students in the fall of 2025 shows that a new player has now emerged in the decision-making ecosystem: artificial intelligence1. Generative tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are no longer used solely for homework; they are directly involved in university research, comparing institutions, and even reflecting on career choices. Is AI becoming a new career counselor, or simply another informational assistant among many?
\n\n\n\nThe study reveals that 89% of high school students have already used an artificial intelligence tool, and that a quarter of them use it at least once a day1. This frequency of use reflects the extremely rapid normalization of these technologies in the information practices of younger generations.
\n\n\n\nEven more significantly, 39% of students report having used AI for six months or less, indicating that adoption has begun recently but is accelerating rapidly. AI is no longer seen as a one-off experiment; it has become part of daily routines.
\n\n\n\nThe reported uses go beyond simple factual research. Students use AI to:
\n\n\n\nThe tool functions more as a “thought partner”—a cognitive partner—than as a simple encyclopedic search engine. This evolution corresponds to what several academic studies describe as a shift from information retrieval to the algorithmic co-construction of reasoning2.
\n\n\n\nThe impact on college applications is particularly significant. 46% of high school students report having used AI in their college applications, compared to 26% just a few months earlier1. The increase is significant.
\n\n\n\nThe effects are not merely declarative; they are decisive:
\n\n\n\nAI thus acts as a cognitive filter between the student and the institution. It synthesizes, prioritizes, and rephrases information drawn from multiple digital sources. This algorithmic mediation redefines the initial informational interaction with institutions.
\n\n\n\nIt is important to note that this influence extends beyond the explicit use of chatbots. Search engines, recommendation platforms, and institutional websites now incorporate algorithmic personalization and automated ranking systems. AI therefore often operates behind the scenes.
\n\n\n\nWhile adoption is rapid, confidence remains cautious. Students express a kind of cautious curiosity.
\n\n\n\nWhen the study tested their ability to distinguish between human-created content and AI-generated content, 63% correctly identified a generated image, and 58% correctly identified AI-generated text1. These scores indicate an emerging but still imperfect ability.
\n\n\n\nIn addition:
\n\n\n\nThese findings highlight a generational ambivalence. AI is viewed both as a tool for efficiency and as a source of structural uncertainty. This tension is consistent with the OECD’s analyses of the impact of automation on career trajectories3.
\n\n\n\nOne of the most significant findings concerns perceptions of the value of higher education. Thirty-nine percent of high school students say they are considering alternatives to college due to advances in AI1.
\n\n\n\nThe alternatives mentioned include:
\n\n\n\nAt the same time, 55% believe that the integration of AI into a school’s curriculum is at least somewhat important in their decision to apply1.
\n\n\n\nHigher education institutions therefore face a twofold challenge: demonstrating their ability to integrate AI into their curricula, while reassuring students of the enduring value of human skills, critical thinking, creativity, and complex problem-solving.
\n\n\n\nAccording to the World Economic Forum, these skills remain among the most resilient in the face of automation4.
\n\n\n\nThe rise of AI in career guidance raises several issues.
\n\n\n\nFirst, there is the issue of the reliability of the information generated. Students sometimes point out inconsistencies between the answers provided by the AI and official university information.
\n\n\n\nNext, the issue of algorithmic dependence. If AI becomes the primary filter of information, it influences the visibility of institutions and the perception of their reputation.
\n\n\n\nFinally, there is the issue of accountability. Under the European regulation on artificial intelligence adopted in 2024, general-purpose systems must comply with transparency and risk management requirements5.
\n\n\n\nThe goal is not to replace human advisors with AI, but to understand how to ensure they complement each other in a responsible way.
\n\n\n\nThe study highlights a profound but still incomplete transformation. AI does not replace the guidance counselor, but it changes the way information is accessed. It comes into play earlier in the decision-making process, helps shape initial assumptions, and influences comparisons.
\n\n\n\nThe issue, therefore, is not merely technological. It is educational and institutional. How can we support students as they make decisions guided by algorithms? How can we ensure the quality of information in an environment where automated summarization is becoming the norm?
\n\n\n\nIn a previous post on this blog, we examined the integration of AI into educational settings and the changes it is bringing about in academic professions. This study builds on that discussion by exploring how prospective students view the decision-making process itself.
\n\n\n\nThe growing role of artificial intelligence in decision-making raises broader questions about the role of humans in learning and creative processes. On a related topic, check out our article “What Role Is Left for Humans with the Arrival of AI in the Creative Sphere? Redefining Creativity and the Role of Education in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence,” which analyzes how the rise of generative AI is leading to a rethinking of training, educational support, and the development of human skills.
\n\n\n\nFor younger people who want to better understand these technological changes, aivancity also offers the MOOC “Your Future Speaks AI: The Essential MOOC for Understanding AI If You’re Under 20.” Available online, this educational program introduces participants to the basics of artificial intelligence, its practical applications, and its implications for society.
\n\n\n\n1. EAB. (2026). How Students View and Use AI in College Search. How Students View and Use AI in College Search | EAB.
https://eab.com
2. Bubeck, S. et al. (2023). Sparks of Artificial General Intelligence. Microsoft Research.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research
3. OECD. (2023). AI Compute and Industrial Scaling.
https://oecd.org
4. World Economic Forum. (2023). The Future of Jobs Report.
https://www.weforum.org
5. European Parliament. (2024). Artificial Intelligence Act.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu
Career guidance has long relied on a stable trio: parents, teachers, and guidance counselors. However, a new study conducted among 5,095 high school students in the fall of 2025 shows that a new player has now emerged in this ecosystem…
\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":534580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[59],"class_list":{"0":"post-534577","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-etudes","8":"tag-parlonsia"},"yoast_head":"\n