Gen Z increasingly skeptical of, and angry about, artificial intelligence - AOL.com

Gen Z increasingly skeptical of, and angry about, artificial intelligence

While some might envision Gen Z welcoming artificial intelligence into their lives, a new Gallup survey found that people between the ages of 14 and 29 are becoming increasingly skeptical of — and downright mad at — AI.

Compared to a similar Walton Family Foundation-Gallup survey conducted in April 2025, they’re less excited and hopeful about the change it could bring and more angry at its existence, citing concerns about AI’s impact on their cognitive abilities and professional opportunities.

Respondents said they used AI at nearly the same rate they did before — they reported only a slight increase in daily and weekly exposure — but when asked how it makes them feel, the answers revealed growing misgivings.

Thirty-one percent said it made them angry, up 9 percentage points from 2025. And just 22% said it made them feel excited, down 14 percentage points from last year. Only 18% of respondents said it made them feel hopeful, marking a nine-point drop. Forty-two percent said it made them feel anxious, roughly the same as last year.

Zach Hrynowski, senior education researcher at Gallup, said the switch was swift.

“One of my working theories is that (it’s) the high schoolers, who are in their senior year, or especially those college students, who are maybe thinking, ‘AI is taking my job. I just went to college for four years: I spent all this money, and now it’s turning my industry upside down,” he told The 74.

Only 46% of respondents believed AI would help them learn faster, down from 53% the prior year, Gallup found. Fifty-six percent of respondents said it would help them to expedite their work compared to 66% last year.

Hrynowski also noted that users’ unease wasn’t entirely tied to the amount of time they spend engaging with AI.

“Year over year, among that super user group, they’re much less excited, they are much less hopeful — and they are more angry,” he said. “So this is not a case of some people who are adopting it and loving it and some people who are just avoiding it and feel negatively about it.”

Nearly half of the respondents said the risk of the technology outweighs the benefits in the workforce. Just 37% believed it would help them find accurate information, down from 43% the prior year, and only 31% believed it would help them come up with new ideas compared to 42% in 2025.

The survey also notes some disparities by age and race. For example, older Gen Zers are more likely than younger ones to voice concerns about AI’s impact on learning in general.

Asked how likely is it that AI designed to mainly complete tasks faster will make learning more difficult in the future, 74% of K-12 respondents said it was “very likely” or “somewhat likely” compared to 83% of Gen Z adults who said the same. Men and Black respondents were also less concerned about learning impact than their peers overall.

The results were based on a survey of 1,572 people spread throughout every state and Washington D.C. and conducted between Feb. 24 and March 4, 2026. It was commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and GSV, Global Silicon Valley. Together, the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup are still conducting ongoing research into Gen Z’s attitudes toward AI.

Hrynowski believes there might be a link between recent revelations about the harmful nature of social media and AI-related distrust: Many of the respondents came of age, he noted, just as former surgeon general Vivek H. Murthy called for a warning about its use.

Generative AI shapes the user experience in social media. Just last month, a California jury found social media company Meta — owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads — and YouTube injured a young woman’s mental health by design in a landmark case that could encourage untold others.

This was the second of two critical decisions: Just a day earlier, a New Mexico jury found Meta knowingly harmed kids’ mental health — and hid what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

“I’ve always been very impressed from the start of this work with Gen Z that across the board, not just with AI, they are keenly aware of the risks of technology, whether it’s social media, whether it’s AI or screen time,” Hrynowski said.

They are not the only generation to harbor these worries. A growing number of parents of K-12 students are pushing back on their screen time, not just at home, but at school.

Despite respondents’ skepticism about AI, they’re also readily aware that the technology won’t be walked back: 52% of respondents acknowledge that they will need to know how to use AI if they go to college or take classes after high school, while 48% think they will need to know how to use AI in the workplace.

An earlier Gallup study, released in April 2026, showed 42% of bachelor’s degree students have reconsidered their major because of AI.

Gen Z, in its reluctant acceptance of the technology, wants help in how to navigate it, both in an academic setting and in the workplace. Schools are stepping up, the survey revealed: The share of K-12 students who say their school has AI rules moved from 51% in 2025 to 74% this year.

Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to The 74.

This story was produced by The 74 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.