Gen Z Is Cooling on AI

With input from Axios and the New York Times.

For a generation raised online, you might expect nonstop enthusiasm about artificial intelligence. That’s not what the data shows.

Gen Z is still using AI. A lot. But the mood has shifted – and not in a good way.

A new survey from Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation, and GSV Ventures finds that excitement around AI is slipping fast among teens and twenty-somethings. Just 22% say the technology makes them feel excited, down sharply from 36% a year ago. Hopefulness has dropped too. Meanwhile, anger is climbing, now hitting 31%.

That’s a notable swing in just 12 months.

Part of it comes down to timing. Older Gen Z workers are entering – or trying to enter – a job market where AI is starting to reshape entry-level roles. That proximity seems to matter. According to Gallup researcher Zach Hrynowski, the oldest members of the cohort are also the most frustrated.

They’re not just watching AI evolve. They’re competing with it.

There’s also a deeper unease about what the technology does to skills that used to feel essential. Many respondents said AI could make them more efficient at school or work. But they’re also worried about losing ground on creativity, critical thinking, even basic communication.

Some are already pulling back in small ways. A 27-year-old hospitality worker said she avoids using AI to draft personal messages because she doesn’t want to lose that human touch. Others worry about misinformation, or about relying too heavily on tools that might quietly reshape how they think.

Still, usage isn’t dropping. Around half of Gen Z reports using AI either daily or weekly – almost unchanged from last year. That disconnect stands out. The excitement is fading, but the behavior isn’t.

It looks less like enthusiasm and more like reluctant acceptance.

Even those who use AI every day aren’t as upbeat as they were before. They’re more curious than others, sure, but the overall trend is still downward. The shine is wearing off, even for power users.

And yet, most young people think they don’t have much of a choice. More than half of Gen Z students say they’ll need AI skills for college or future careers, up from last year. Confidence is rising, too – 56% now believe they’ll be able to use AI regularly after graduating high school.

So the picture is a bit messy. Less hype. More skepticism. But also more preparation.

In the workplace, the divide is even sharper. Nearly half of young workers say the risks of AI outweigh the benefits – a jump from last year – while only a small slice see it as a clear positive.

That tension is likely to stick around. AI is becoming a constant presence in school, work, and daily life, whether people feel good about it or not.

Curiosity is still there. It’s actually the most common reaction people report. But it’s now mixed with something heavier – caution, frustration, and a growing sense that this technology is moving faster than their ability to adapt to it.