The AI Paradox

A new survey by the Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures, and Gallup finds that Gen Z is navigating a complex relationship with artificial intelligence (AI) that is marked by plateauing use, declining optimism, and growing concern about its impact. While Gen Zers acknowledge AI’s relevance and are curious about it, they remain cautious about its value and wary of its consequences.

1. Gen Z’s use of AI in everyday life has remained largely stable over the past year. Just over half of 14- to 29-year-olds say they use AI either daily (22%) or weekly (29%), while 11% report using it monthly, 20% every few months and 19% say they never use it.
2. The excitement (22%) and hopefulness (18%) that Gen Zers feel about using AI were already low last year and declined sharply this year, while anger (31%) increased and anxiety (42%) remained steady. Curiosity about AI (49%) is the most strongly felt emotion of the five measured.
3. Frequent Gen Z AI users report substantially more positive emotions about it than those who never use it, but even daily users’ positivity has declined significantly over the past year. Among daily users, 69% now say they feel curious, 44% excited and 38% hopeful, compared with 28%, 4% and 2%, respectively, among non-users.
4. Gen Z remains skeptical of AI’s positive impact on core skills and productivity. They are split on its ability to help them search for accurate information, while pluralities say it will do more harm than good for creativity (38%) and critical thinking (42%). Confidence in AI-driven efficiency has declined, with agreement that it helps complete work faster down 10 points to 56%, and that it speeds up learning dropping seven points to 46%.
5. Young adults in the workforce are significantly more likely to view AI as a risk than a benefit in the workplace. Nearly half (48%) say the risks outweigh the benefits, compared with just 15% who say the opposite, while 37% see the risks and benefits as equal.
6. Just over half of Gen Z students (52%) think they will need to know how to use AI for postsecondary education, marking a five-point increase since 2025. Forty-eight percent believe AI skills will be necessary for their future careers.
7. The majority of Gen Z K-12 students (56%) now agree or strongly agree that they will have the skills to use AI in their daily lives after high school, marking a 12-point increase from last year.