PISA 2025 Data Reveals High AI Use and Rising Phone Bans in Brazilian Schools

Nearly half of Brazilian students use artificial intelligence chatbots for school assignments at least once a week, according to the 2025 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) data released by the OECD. Specifically, 48 percent of Brazilian students report this usage, which is slightly above the OECD average of 46 percent. Despite this student adoption, Brazil's schools struggle to integrate digital technology into pedagogy. The country recorded a score of -0.86 on the School Digital Capacity Indicator, falling below the OECD average of -0.03. This index measures factors such as teacher technical skills, the existence of effective online platforms, and available resources for teacher training. Brazil has seen a rapid increase in the prohibition of mobile phones in schools, rising from 37 percent in 2022 to 81 percent in 2025. This trend is faster than the OECD average, which grew from 34 percent to 49 percent. The OECD notes that banning phones is one of the most effective measures against digital distraction. In Brazil, students who report being distracted by digital devices in science classes score an average of 19 points lower, a gap larger than the 11 point difference seen in the OECD average. While the center lean coverage focuses on the statistical gap between student AI usage and institutional capacity, the center right lean coverage frames the integration of AI in classrooms as a matter of caution.