Between verification and delegation: the use of generative artificial intelligence in a public high school in Mazatlán, México

This article addresses a study conducted at a public upper secondary school of the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa in Mazatlán, Mexico, on how students use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their schoolwork, with the aim of understanding what happens to their autonomy when these tools become part of their academic life. A cross-sectional design was applied through an online questionnaire, which was answered anonymously by 206 students aged 15 to 18 in May 2026. Among the results, it was found that two out of three students (67.5%) use AI at least once a week, with ChatGPT and Gemini as the most commonly used tools, mainly to request explanations of complex topics. It is worth noting that 78.2% report using AI to verify their own answers and only 26.7% acknowledge that they could not complete some tasks without it; however, those who use it daily rely on it to solve mathematics exercises and write essays up to three times more often than the rest of their peers. Based on the above, it can be inferred that there is a gap between the autonomy students claim and the practices they themselves report; therefore, the challenge for teachers, families and institutions lies in teaching the correct and ethical use of these tools, so that AI supports learning rather than replacing the student’s own effort.