Gen Z's AI Adoption Steady, but Skepticism Climbs A new survey reveals that while Gen Zers in the U.S. continue to use generative artificial intelligence at a steady rate, their overall sentiment toward the technology has become more negative over the past year. Despite 51% of 14- to 29-year-olds reporting weekly AI use, anger toward the technology has risen, while excitement and hopefulness have declined. Even daily users, who typically hold more favorable views, have not seen an increase in positivity. The findings come from a collaboration between the Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures, and Gallup, based on a survey of 1,572 Gen Zers conducted between February 24 and March 4, 2026. Gen Z, defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 and currently aged 14 to 29, remains skeptical about AI’s ability to enhance creativity or critical thinking. The majority believe the technology may come at a cost, particularly to learning. This skepticism is echoed by employed Gen Zers, who are more likely to view the risks of AI in the workplace as outweighing its benefits. Trust in AI-assisted work is lower than in human-only output, with 69% of Gen Z workers expressing greater confidence in work completed without AI. The survey also highlights a growing divide between frequent AI users and nonusers. Among daily users, 69% report feeling curious about AI, compared to just 28% of nonusers. However, even daily users have seen a decline in positive emotions. Excitement about AI has dropped by 18 percentage points since 2025, and hopefulness has fallen by 11 points. Anxiety and anger about AI remain relatively stable, with 42% of Gen Zers expressing anxiety and 31% reporting anger. Curiosity, a newly added emotion in this year’s survey, is now the most common sentiment, felt by 49% of respondents.#gen_z #walton_family_foundation #gsv_ventures #gallup #ai_adoption
