Gen Z is using AI more — and liking it less.
A new Gallup survey, conducted Feb. 24–Mar. 4 for the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures, polled 1,572 Americans aged 14–29 and found a striking split: 51% of Gen Z now use generative AI at least weekly (up 4 points year-over-year), yet enthusiasm is slipping fast.
Key takeaways
- Usage up, sentiment down: Weekly use rose to 51%, but excitement about AI plunged 14 percentage points to 22%, and hopefulness fell 9 points to 18%. Anger toward AI climbed 9 points to 31%.
- Even heavy users are souring: Among daily AI users, excitement dropped 18 points from last year.
- Learning and cognition concerns: Eight in 10 Gen Zers say relying on AI to finish work faster will probably make learning harder in the long run. Prior 2024 research has linked overreliance on tools like ChatGPT to procrastination and memory loss in students.
- Creativity and trust erode: Only 31% of respondents now believe AI helps them come up with new ideas (down from 42%), and just 37% trust AI for accurate information (down from 43%). Separate studies also suggest generative AI can boost individual output while narrowing the diversity of creative work.
- Workplace skepticism: Among employed Gen Z, 48% say the risks of AI at work outweigh the benefits (an 11-point jump). Only 15% see AI as a net positive for their careers. Less than 20% would pick AI over a human for tutoring, financial advice, or customer support. Trust in AI-assisted work is 28% versus 69% for human-only output.
- Academic fallout and policy: Nearly three-quarters of K–12 schools now have AI policies (a 23-point increase in a year), but 41% of students believe most classmates are using AI for schoolwork when they shouldn’t. A separate Gallup study found 42% of bachelor’s students have reconsidered their major because of AI.
What they’re saying
Zach Hrynowski, senior education researcher at Gallup, summarized the shift: “In most of these cases, Gen Zers have become increasingly skeptical, increasingly negative—from a place where even last year, they weren’t particularly positive about it.” Stephanie Marken, a senior partner at Gallup, added: “Their growing skepticism signals a need for more thoughtful integration of these tools in both school settings and the workplace.” For students facing career uncertainty, the angst is personal: “I feel like anything that I'm interested in has the potential of maybe getting replaced,” said Sydney Gill, a 19-year-old freshman at Rice University.
Why it matters — and what it means for crypto
Gen Z was widely expected to be the natural adopter of AI-driven tools, but the survey shows they’re using AI out of necessity more than enthusiasm. For the crypto and Web3 world — where many projects promise AI-native products, tokenized incentives, or automated services — this ambivalence matters. Projects that lean heavily on AI-generated content or automated governance may face skepticism from younger users who worry about creativity, accuracy, and career impact. Conversely, blockchain-based transparency, reputational systems, and human-in-the-loop models could win favor if they address trust and learning concerns.
Bottom line
Gen Z’s relationship with AI is complicated: adoption rises while trust and optimism fall. The generation recognizes AI’s utility but increasingly worries about its long-term effects on learning, creativity, and career prospects — a trend that will shape how tech, education, and even crypto products are built and marketed to younger users.
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