Think young people are charging eagerly into an A.I.-mediated future? Think again.<\/p>\n
More than half of Gen Z-ers living in the United States use generative artificial intelligence regularly, but their feelings about the technology are souring, according to a new survey<\/a> released on Thursday by Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures, a venture capital firm that works in education technology.<\/p>\n The percentage of respondents ages 14 to 29 who said they felt hopeful about A.I. declined sharply since last year, down to 18 percent from 27. Young adults\u2019 excitement about artificial intelligence dropped, too, and nearly a third of respondents indicated that the technology made them feel angry.<\/p>\n The survey of more than 1,500 people was conducted in February and March. Its results suggest that Americans\u2019 animosity toward A.I.<\/a> extends to a younger generation \u2014 one that is currently struggling to find its footing<\/a> in the workplace.<\/p>\n \u201cIn most of these cases, Gen Z-ers have become increasingly skeptical, increasingly negative \u2014 from a place where even last year, they weren\u2019t particularly positive about it,\u201d said Zach Hrynowski, a senior education researcher for Gallup who worked on the survey.<\/p>\n He said he had been surprised by how noticeably young people\u2019s attitudes had shifted. Many respondents did acknowledge that A.I. might make them more efficient in school and the workplace, he said. But they were concerned about how the technology would affect their creativity and critical thinking skills.<\/p>\n Young adults in the work force were especially skeptical. Close to half of those surveyed said the risks of artificial intelligence outweighed its potential benefits in the workplace, an 11-point jump from the previous year. Only 15 percent said they saw A.I. as a net benefit.<\/p>\n The findings arrive as parents, students and policymakers debate how much of a role A.I. systems should play in young people\u2019s lives. Members of Gen Z have been turning to bots like ChatGPT for relationship advice<\/a> and help with schoolwork<\/a>. Some are using the tools to outsource complex, weighty decisions like where to attend college<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the study, about half of young people reported using A.I. on either a daily or weekly basis, similar to the previous year. Just under 20 percent said they did not use A.I.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just haven\u2019t seen increased adoption over the past year, even though I think more and more Gen Z-ers are saying they have access to these tools,\u201d Mr. Hrynowski said. The youngest members of the generation were the most likely to say they used A.I. frequently, he added.<\/p>\n