Gen Z's wary love affair with AI: angry yet hooked

A Gallup poll of nearly 1,600 people aged 14–29 finds Gen Z’s enthusiasm for AI has cooled since last year—only 18% are hopeful and 22% excited, while 31% feel angry and anxiety remains around 40%. Despite this, more than half use AI weekly, and most expect it to be needed for higher education or future careers. Gen Z sees AI as useful but worries about its long‑term effects on learning and career readiness, and many now view workplace AI risks as outweighing benefits.