A new study involving the ECONtribute Cluster of Excellence shows that social pressure significantly influences parental demand for AI tools for schoolwork. The study, "Social Dynamics of AI Adoption in Parents' Educational Decisions," was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Researchers conducted experiments with around 2,000 parents from the US, Canada, and the UK, all with at least one child between the ages of 13 and 18. Parents stated the maximum amount they would pay for a three-month premium subscription to an unrestricted AI tool. They were presented with scenarios where 20, 40, 60 or 80 per cent of other young people were using AI. For every ten-percentage-point increase in assumed usage, average willingness to pay rose by 1.83 US dollars. Between the 20 per cent and 80 per cent scenarios, willingness to pay rose by more than 60 per cent, equating to around eleven US dollars. Around 20 per cent of parents cited concerns about their children falling behind. Some parents received information about long-term risks, referencing a field study where pupils using GPT-4 scored just under 20 per cent lower in subsequent maths tests. This information changed attitudes but had virtually no effect on willingness to pay, while support for school-wide rules or bans rose from 44 per cent to 57 per cent.