AI (Artificial Intelligence) Report - YPulse

AI has gone from novelty to everyday utility for Gen Z and Millennials—but how young consumers really feel about it is more complicated than adoption alone would suggest. Which AI platforms are they actually using, and how is AI starting to reshape the way they search for information? What are they turning to chatbots for, from work tasks to life advice to creative projects? After years of mounting hype, is their optimism about AI still climbing, or are growing concerns about misinformation, harmful advice, and “AI slop” starting to crowd the conversation? And as brands rush to integrate AI into everything they do, which uses are young consumers welcoming—and which ones are they pushing back on? The relationship between young people and AI is changing fast, and the answers reveal where their trust, attention, and expectations are heading next.

In YPulse’s 2026 AI Report, we dive into how young consumers are using AI in their everyday lives, which platforms they’re using, what they’re asking AI to help them with, why optimism about the tech is cooling, what AI applications they welcome (and reject) from brands, and more.

Download the full report for further insights

• Which AI chatbots and image generators young consumers use most—and how ChatGPT is reshaping search alongside Google, YouTube, and TikTok
• Why AI hype is cooling among Gen Z and Millennials, what concerns are driving the shift, and how trust in AI for accurate information stacks up against search engines and people
• The AI use cases young consumers welcome from brands versus the ones that feel deceptive or impersonal—plus how POC, LGBTQ+, and college students differ in their openness to AI

Report length: 22 pages, North America report is based on surveys of 1500 13-39-year-olds in the U.S. and Canada, fielded April 2026. Western Europe report is based on a survey of 2500 13-39-year-olds in the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, fielded in April 2026

Additional survey content for Pro users:

The full list of AI chatbots and image generators young consumers have used, the full list of specific tasks they’ve turned to AI for (from resume writing to mental health advice to coding), their full list of concerns about AI, what they think of AI’s impact on jobs, the AI-powered brand experiences they like and dislike, the tech-enabled AI experiences they’re interested in trying, how use and sentiment differ among POC, LGBTQ+ youth, and college students, and more.

The Data File also includes data split by the following demographics: Gender & Generation, Age Groups, Academic Status, Race, POC, Country, Urban/Rural Status, LGBTQ+, Parent, Household Income, Feelings on AI, and Uses AI Tools.

Recent years' reports on this topic

• 2025AI (Artificial Intelligence) Report
• 2024AI (Artificial Intelligence) Report

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