Respondents said they used AI at nearly the same rate they did before \u2014 they reported only a slight increase in daily and weekly exposure \u2014 but when asked how it makes them feel, the answers revealed growing misgivings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thirty-one percent said it made them angry, up 9 percentage points from 2025. And just 22% said it made them feel excited, down 14 percentage points from last year. Only 18% of respondents said it made them feel hopeful, marking a nine-point drop. Forty-two percent said it made them feel anxious, roughly the same as last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zach Hrynowski, senior education researcher at Gallup, said the switch was swift.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of my working theories is that (it\u2019s) the high schoolers, who are in their senior year, or especially those college students, who are maybe thinking, \u2018AI is taking my job. I just went to college for four years: I spent all this money and now it\u2019s turning my industry upside down,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n RelatedAt These Universities, Using AI Isn\u2019t Shunned \u2014 It\u2019s a Graduation Requirement<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Only 46% of respondents believed AI would help them learn faster, down from 53% the prior year, Gallup found. Fifty-six percent of respondents said it would help them to expedite their work compared to 66% last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hrynowski notes, too, that users\u2019 unease wasn\u2019t entirely tied to the amount of time they spend engaging with AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYear over year, among that super user group, they\u2019re much less excited, they are much less hopeful \u2014 and they are more angry,\u201d he said. \u201cSo this is not a case of some people who are adopting it and loving it and some people who are just avoiding it and feel negatively about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Nearly half of respondents said the risk of the technology outweighs the benefits in the workforce. Just 37% believed it would help them find accurate information, down from 43% the prior year and only 31% believed it would help them come up with new ideas compared to 42% in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t(Gallup)<\/p>\n The survey also notes some disparities by age and race. For example, older Gen Zers are more likely than younger ones to voice concerns about AI\u2019s impact on learning in general.\u00a0<\/p>\n Asked how likely is it that AI designed to mainly complete tasks faster will make learning more difficult in the future, 74% of K-12 respondents said it was \u201cvery likely\u201d or \u201csomewhat likely\u201d compared to 83% of Gen Z adults who said the same. Men and Black respondents were also less concerned about learning impact than their peers overall.<\/p>\n Results are based on a survey of 1,572 people spread throughout every state and Washington, D.C., conducted between Feb. 24 and March 4, 2026. It was commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and GSV<\/a>, Global Silicon Valley. Together, Walton Family Foundation and Gallup are conducting ongoing research into Gen Z\u2019s attitudes toward AI.<\/p>\n Hrynowski believes there might be a link between recent revelations about the harmful nature of social media and AI-related distrust: Many of the respondents came of age, he notes, just as former surgeon general Vivek H. Murthy called for a warning<\/a> about its use.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RelatedTwo New Reports Urge \u2018Human-Centered\u2019 School AI Adoption<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Generative AI<\/a> shapes the user experience in social media. Just last month, a California jury found social media company Meta \u2014\u00a0owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads \u2014\u00a0and YouTube injured a young woman\u2019s mental health by design in a landmark case<\/a> that could encourage untold others.\u00a0<\/p>\n This was the second of two critical decisions: Just a day earlier, a New Mexico jury found Meta knowingly harmed kids\u2019 mental health<\/a> \u2014\u00a0and hid what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always been very impressed from the start of this work with Gen Z that across the board, not just with AI, they are keenly aware of the risks of technology, whether it\u2019s social media, whether it\u2019s AI or screen time,\u201d Hrynowski said.\u00a0<\/p>\n They are not the only generation to harbor these worries. A growing number of parents of K-12 students are pushing back on their screen time, not just at home<\/a>, but at school.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite respondents\u2019 skepticism about AI, they\u2019re also readily aware that the technology won\u2019t be walked back: 52% acknowledge that they will need to know how to use AI if they go to college or take classes after high school, while 48% think they will need to know how to use AI in the workplace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RelatedFour Takeaways from New Report on AI\u2019s Risks in Education<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n An earlier Gallup study, released just last week, shows 42% of bachelor\u2019s degree students have reconsidered their major because of AI.<\/a><\/p>\n Gen Z, in its reluctant acceptance of the technology, wants help in how to navigate it, both in an academic setting and in the workplace. Schools are stepping up, the survey revealed: The share of K-12 students who say their school has AI rules moved from 51% in 2025 to 74% this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to The 74<\/a>.<\/p>\n Did you use this article in your work?<\/p>\n
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