Generation Z Is Growing Disillusioned With AI but Keeps Using It — Gallup Poll

Generation Z is increasingly disillusioned with artificial intelligence — and sees fewer and fewer solutions from it. A new Gallup survey captures a worrying trend for the industry: those who grew up with smartphones and social media are replacing AI euphoria with fatigue and mounting irritation. The survey was conducted in February and March 2026 among nearly 1,600 Americans aged 14 to 29.

This is one of the first large-scale attempts to measure not just AI usage among young people, but their emotional relationship to the technology. The results surprised even the report's authors. Only 18% of respondents said they felt hopeful about AI, and 22% said it generated enthusiasm in them.

This is noticeably lower than last year's figures, when sentiment was far more optimistic. Meanwhile, other indicators have grown: anxiety, skepticism, and a sense that the technology is being forced upon them — in school, at work, in everyday life. The paradox is that disillusionment does not lead to rejection.

Most young people admit they continue to use AI — simply because their environment demands it. Teachers encourage or tacitly permit ChatGPT use for assignments. Employers expect candidates to be able to work with AI tools.

Freelancers use AI for speed — otherwise they cannot compete. It's a classic trap: you don't like it, but you have no way out. This fundamentally distinguishes Gen Z's position from the experience of previous generations.

Millennials witnessed the emergence of social media as something new and exciting — disappointment came only later. Gen Z saw this cycle already playing out in others' experience. They enter the AI era with already-lowered expectations and heightened critical awareness.

Their skepticism is not a reaction to failure, but a preemptive defense. Context matters too. AI tools are becoming increasingly embedded in education and employment — two spheres that directly determine quality of life for young people.

When a technology you didn't choose becomes a mandatory condition for study or employment, it creates a sense of lost control. This is felt most acutely by those who have already encountered AI competing with them on the job market or devaluing the skills they have just begun to master. Gallup is not the only organization documenting this dynamic.

A number of university studies and platform surveys paint a similar picture: young people have nothing against AI as a concept, but against how it is being implemented — without their participation, often without explanation, with unclear consequences for career and creativity. For the industry, this means at least: you cannot assume young people are automatically a loyal audience simply because they are digital natives. Gen Z grew up in an era of algorithmic feeds and dark patterns — they know how to recognize when technology works for the company, not the user.

Forced implementation of AI in education without thoughtful pedagogy or in hiring without transparency will only accelerate the growth of this distrust. While the industry reports record investments and new possibilities, the next generation of users quietly votes with sentiment. They are not leaving — but they do not believe either.