Abstract
This paper investigates the perceptions of Romanian pre-university students regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in school activities. The study focuses in particular on the role of educational communication in shaping AI usage behaviors, with reference to the student-teacher partnership. In order to collect a relevant set of data, a mixed questionnaire was administered to a sample of 536 Romanian pre-university students, with questions related to self-reported behaviors regarding the use of AI, the dynamics of educational communication and ethical representations regarding this emerging technology. The questionnaire had a response rate of 46.83 % and recorded 251 complete responses. The data obtained were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, indicating a predominantly pragmatic use of AI in educational activity. At the same time, the results also show an awareness of ethical risks, in particular in relation to copying, plagiarism and the substitution of autonomous thinking and direct, traditional communication. In the absence of a formal normative framework, students develop spontaneous forms of self-regulation, and the student-teacher relationship emerges as an essential vector in guiding reflective and responsible interaction with technology.