A recent Gallup survey reveals that young adults in the United States are increasingly negative about AI technology, even as more than half use it regularly.
Axios reports that despite widespread adoption of generative AI among the younger Americans that comprise Generation Z, their enthusiasm for the technology is declining significantly, according to new research released by Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation, and GSV Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on education technology.
The survey, which polled more than 1,500 people ages 14 to 29 during February and March, found that more than half of Gen Z individuals in the United States use generative AI on a regular basis. However, their emotional response to the technology has shifted dramatically in a negative direction over the past year.
The percentage of young respondents who reported feeling hopeful about artificial intelligence dropped sharply from 27 percent in the previous year to just 18 percent in the current survey. Similarly, excitement about the technology among young adults has decreased. Perhaps most striking, nearly one-third of survey participants indicated that AI made them feel angry.
These findings suggest that concerns about artificial intelligence extend well beyond older generations and have taken root among young adults who are currently navigating their entry into the workforce and establishing their professional identities.
Zach Hrynowski, a senior education researcher for Gallup who participated in the survey, noted the significant shift in attitudes among this demographic. “In most of these cases, Gen Z-ers have become increasingly skeptical, increasingly negative — from a place where even last year, they weren’t particularly positive about it,” Hrynowski said.
He expressed surprise at how noticeably young people’s perspectives had changed in such a relatively short time period. While many respondents acknowledged potential efficiency gains from using artificial intelligence in educational and professional settings, they voiced concerns about the technology’s impact on fundamental cognitive abilities.
Specifically, young adults worried about how artificial intelligence might affect their creativity and critical thinking skills. This suggests that Gen Z recognizes potential trade-offs between convenience and the development of important intellectual capabilities.
The skepticism was particularly pronounced among young adults already participating in the workforce. Nearly half of working respondents stated that the risks associated with artificial intelligence outweighed its potential benefits in workplace environments. This represents an 11-percentage-point increase from the previous year’s survey results.
Even more dramatically, only 15 percent of young workers surveyed viewed AI as a net benefit to their professional lives. This low percentage indicates deep reservations about how the technology is being integrated into work environments and what it means for their career prospects and job security.
The survey results paint a picture of a generation caught between practical adoption and philosophical rejection of AI. While Gen Z members use these tools regularly, possibly out of necessity or peer pressure, they harbor growing doubts about the long-term implications of the technology. This disconnect between usage and sentiment reflects broader societal tensions around artificial intelligence. Young adults appear to be grappling with questions about authenticity, skill development, and the future nature of work in an increasingly automated world.
Breitbart News social media director and author Wynton Hall explains in his book Code Red: The Left, the Right, China, and the Race to Control AI that conservatives at the government level as well as within the family unit must help young people create a bright future working with AI as a tool, not as a replacement for humans. Hall recently wrote that leftists will attempt to weaponize the fear over potential job loss at the hands of AI to sway the midterm elections, a fear evident in the polling data from college students.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, praised Code Red as a “must-read.” She added: “Few understand our conservative fight against Big Tech as Hall does,” making him “uniquely qualified to examine how we can best utilize AI’s enormous potential, while ensuring it does not exploit kids, creators, and conservatives.” Award-winning investigative journalist and Public founder Michael Shellenberger calls Code Red “illuminating,” ”alarming,” and describes the book as “an essential conversation-starter for those hoping to subvert Big Tech’s autocratic plans before it’s too late.”
Read more at Axios here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of AI, free speech, and online censorship.
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