by Joe NapolitanoThe 74
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While some might imagine Gen Z welcoming artificial intelligence into their lives, a new Gallup poll shows that 14- to 29-year-olds are becoming increasingly skeptical — and downright crazy — about AI.
compared to a Similar survey last yearThey cite concerns about AI’s impact on their cognitive abilities and professional opportunities, are less excited and optimistic about the changes it could bring, and more resentful of its existence.
Respondents said they had used AI at about the same rate before – they reported slight increases in daily and weekly exposure – but when asked how it made them feel, answers expressed increasing ambivalence.
Thirty-one percent said it made them angry, up 9 percentage points from 2025. And only 22% said it made them excited, down 14 percentage points from last year. Only 18% of respondents said it made them feel optimistic, marking a nine-point drop. Forty-two percent said it made them feel anxious, roughly the same as last year.
Zach Horinowski, senior education researcher at Gallup, said the switch was swift.
“One of my working theories is that (it’s) high school students, who are in their senior year, or especially those college students, who might be thinking, ‘AI is taking my job. I only went to college for four years: I spent all this money and now it’s overturning my industry,'” he said.
Only 46% of respondents believed AI would help them learn faster, down from 53% the previous year, Gallup found. Fifty percent of respondents said it would help them do their work faster, up from 66% last year.
Hrynowski notes, also, that users’ discomfort was not entirely tied to the amount of time they spent engaging with AI.
“Year after year, within that super user group, they’re a lot less excited, they’re a lot less optimistic — and they’re angrier,” he said. “So it’s not a case of some people taking it and loving it and some people avoiding it and feeling negative about it.”
About half of respondents said the technology risks outweigh the workforce benefits. Only 37% believed it would help them find the right information, down from 43% the previous year, and only 31% believed it would help them come up with new ideas in 2025, compared to 42%.
The survey also noted some disparities by age and race. For example, younger generations are more likely than older generations to express concern about the impact of AI on learning in general.
Asked whether AI designed primarily to get tasks done faster would 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. Male and black respondents were also less concerned about learning implications than their peers.
The findings are based on a survey of 1,572 people spread across every state and Washington, D.C., conducted between February 24 and March 4, 2026. It was commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and GSVGlobal Silicon Valley. Together, the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup are conducting ongoing research on Gen Z attitudes toward AI.
Hrynowski believes there may be a link between the harmful nature of social media and recent revelations about AI-related mistrust: Many of the respondents came of age, he noted, just as former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy said warning About its use.
Generative AI Shapes the user experience on 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. A groundbreaking case which may encourage others.
It was the second of two critical decisions: just a day earlier, a New Mexico jury had found Meta Knowingly harms children’s mental health — and it hid what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms
“I’ve always been very impressed since starting this work with Gen Z that across the board, not just with AI, they’re acutely aware of the risks of technology, whether it’s social media, AI or screen time,” said Hrynowski.
They are not the only generation to dress in this concern. A growing number of parents of K-12 students are pushing back on their screen time, not just at homebut at school
Despite respondents’ skepticism about AI, they are readily aware that the technology is not coming back: 52% admit they need to know how to use AI if they go to college or take classes after high school, while 48% think they need to know how to use AI at work.
An earlier Gallup survey, released last week, showed that 42% of students have a bachelor’s degree AI has given them a major overhaul.
Gen Z, in its reluctant acceptance of technology, seeks help on how to navigate it in both academic settings and the workplace. Schools are moving forward, survey reveals: The share of K-12 students who say their schools have AI rules in place rose from 51% in 2025 to 74% this year.
Disclosure: Financial support provided by Walton Family Foundation 74.
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