Headline: Gen Z Keeps Using AI — but Growing Disillusionment Could Shape How Tech (and Crypto) Evolves
Gen Z hasn’t abandoned generative AI, but its relationship with the technology is rapidly souring, according to a new Gallup-backed survey released this week. The study — conducted Feb. 24–March 4 by the Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures and Gallup — polled 1,572 Americans aged 14–29 and found usage creeping up while enthusiasm collapses.
Key findings
- 51% of Gen Z use generative AI at least weekly (up 4% year-over-year).
- But only 22% say they’re excited about AI (down 14 points) and just 18% feel hopeful (down 9 points).
- Negative emotions rose: 31% report anger about AI (up 9 points). Even daily AI users showed an 18-point drop in excitement year-over-year.
- Eight in 10 Gen Zers believe relying on AI to work faster will likely make learning harder over time.
- Only 31% say AI helps them generate new ideas (down from 42% last year); just 37% trust it for accurate information (down from 43%).
- Workplace skepticism is sharp: 48% of employed Gen Zers say AI’s risks outweigh its benefits (an 11-point jump). Only 15% view AI as a career positive.
- Less than 20% would pick AI over humans for services like tutoring, financial advice or customer support; trust in AI-assisted work is 28% versus 69% for human-only output.
- Education impacts: nearly three-quarters of K–12 schools now have AI policies (up 23 points in a year), and 41% of students believe many classmates misuse AI for schoolwork. A separate Gallup finding shows 42% of bachelor’s students have reconsidered their major because of AI.
Experts and context
Gallup senior education researcher Zach Hrynowski summarized the trend as a shift from tepid positivity to growing skepticism. Stephanie Marken, senior partner at Gallup, framed it as a generation that understands AI’s utility but is increasingly worried about its long-term costs to learning, trust and career readiness.
This unease echoes prior 2024 academic work that linked heavy reliance on chatbots and other AI tools to procrastination, memory lapses and reductions in originality — effects Gen Zers in this survey explicitly fear.
A young voice on the front lines: 19-year-old Rice freshman Sydney Gill told the New York Times she fears her interests could be replaced by AI within years — an anxiety that helps explain why many students are rethinking majors and career paths.
What this means for crypto (and tech)
Gen Z is a core demographic for crypto projects, NFT culture, Web3 services and AI-integrated fintech. Their rising distrust of AI suggests a few likely shifts for builders and investors:
- Demand for transparency and verifiability will grow. Blockchain provenance, auditable models, and clear attribution could become competitive advantages.
- Human-in-the-loop systems, trusted curators and on-chain reputation mechanisms may win more users than fully autonomous AI solutions.
- AI-driven creative products (AI art, music generators) might face pushback unless they demonstrably preserve originality or fairly compensate human creators.
- Career and education upheaval could reshape talent pipelines into crypto and AI fields, with students gravitating toward skills that AI can’t easily replicate.
Bottom line
Gen Z continues to use AI out of convenience — but usage is increasingly tinged with mistrust and worry about long-term cognitive, creative and career harms. For companies in crypto and beyond, the lesson is clear: adoption won’t be automatic. Regaining Gen Z’s confidence will require demonstrating real value, preserving human agency, and building systems that are transparent, accountable and education-friendly.
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