Gen Z steadily using AI, but skepticism rising, Gallup reports
· UPIApril 9 (UPI) -- Use of generative artificial intelligence has held steady among people in their teens and 20s, but skepticism about the technology is also rising among many in the age group, a Gallup poll released Thursday indicates.
Generation Z has been expected to excitedly adopt AI tools in school and the workplace, and slightly more than half use it weekly, but concerns about its risks and how much they trust it is beginning to echo older generations, a poll found.
Even Gen Zers who enthusiastically hold favorable views of AI tools and their potential benefits are raising questions about whether it enhances creativity or critical thinking, a survey by Gallup, GSV Ventures and the Walton Family Foundation shows.
"Gen Z's use of AI is mostly steady, but enthusiasm for it has declined while skepticism has climbed," Gallup wrote in a report on the survey.
"Gen Zers are more widely questioning AI's effects on their cognitive skills, particularly in thinking, learning and creativity," the polling organization said.
Experts and polls have shown concern not only about AI replacing humans at various occupations, from coding to data analysis to customer service, but there are concerns that the work it produces may not be as high quality as that of humans.
AI is also increasingly being used in education -- either officially as part of skills development or informally by students to assist with coursework -- and has raised concerns among educators and parents.
The survey included 1,572 people between the ages of 14 years and 29 years -- Generation Z comprises people born between 1997 and 2012 -- in late February and early March using a probability-based online Gallup Panel.
Over the past 12 months, Gen Z's use of AI remained steady, with about 51% of participants using AI either daily or weekly, with members of the generation more in K-12 school grades more likely to use it than adults.
In the past 12 months, however, 22% of the generation was excited about AI -- a 14 percentage point decrease -- and hopefulness dropped by 9 points, Gallup reported.
A majority of Gen Zers still thinks AI can help in learning and doing work, but the 56% who said so this year is drop of 10 percentage points from last year, while those who said AI can "accelerate learning" dropped by seven points to 46%.
Roughly half of Gen Z aged people that are in K-12 grades thinking they'll need to know to use AI after graduating high school and about 60% think they'll be properly prepared to use those skills, but 48% also said that the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh the potential benefits.
Gallup also reported that Gen Z workers have greater trust in work done without AI than in AI-assisted work -- 69% vs. 28% -- and 3% have trust in entirely AI produced work.
Overall, skepticism of the technology has risen among Gen Z, and the younger end of the age group has expressed concern that AI technology could harm the development of career skills it is supposed to help.
"Concerns among Gen Z that AI may undermine skill development appear to be outweighing its perceived efficiency gains," Gallup wrote.
"Fostering trust in AI among Gen Z will seemingly depend on demonstrating how AI can enhance rather than replace human talents," it said.