Gen Z is often cast as souring on AI, but they’re no more negative about the technology than their parents and grandparents.
A new survey from Milltown Partners, shared first with Semafor, found that 73% of Gen Z adults haven’t made up their minds on AI, while half said they expect AI to harm society. That matches baby boomers (50%) and Gen Xers (48%), while millennials were the most upbeat, with 39% expecting harm.
Companies and politicians are all eager to understand the generation’s stance on AI, given how much they drive tech trends and how AI and data centers played an outsize role in the US midterm election.
The report also pointed to a paradox that seems to define young people’s relationship with AI: Many say it makes them worse at thinking for themselves and harder to find a job — but 46% said they use it every day, the second-highest rate behind millennials.
Young people are also less worried than older generations about the existential risk that dominates much of the AI safety discourse. And they are more conflicted about their own use: 30% of Gen Zers said they sometimes feel guilty using AI, more than double the rate among respondents over 30.
