US Gen Z Cools on Generative AI Amid Fears for Jobs and Creativity

Artificial intelligence is spreading through workplaces, schools and daily life, but broader adoption has not translated into greater public confidence in the United States. Pew Research Center’s polling points to a widening gap between the technology’s practical use and expectations for its social impact. Fears center on job displacement, weakened creativity and diminished human connection, with younger adults facing particular pressure as they enter a labor market being reshaped by automation.

Pew said on Aug. 18 that 52% of U.S. adults were more concerned than excited about AI, up from 37% in 2021. The survey of 3,488 adults was conducted June 22-28. Concern among people under 30 reached a majority for the first time at 55%, a 24-point rise from 2021. Across all adults, 71% expected AI to reduce U.S. job opportunities over the next 20 years; the figure was 73% among under-30s, up from 61% in 2024.

Generative AI has become routine for young Americans, but familiarity is not translating into confidence. For Gen Z, the debate is shifting from novelty to whether the technology will erode entry-level opportunities, weaken learning and devalue skills before they reach the workplace. That tension matters for an industry investing heavily in adoption: the cohort most accustomed to AI is also signaling that regular use should not be mistaken for approval of how the technology is being developed or deployed.

A Gallup survey commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures questioned 1,572 Americans aged 14 to 29 from Feb. 24 to March 4, 2026. It found 51% used AI at least weekly, while excitement fell to 22% from 36% and anger rose to 31% from 22%. A separate CNBC-Generation Lab poll published Aug. 13 found 45% of 1,088 respondents aged 18 to 34 expected AI to hurt their careers, and majorities distrusted each of nine AI executives presented to them.