[ExI] Why Gen Z dislikes AI

[Gregory Jones]

Thx BillK.  I can add it to my list of "old" jokes:

 1.  My wife is so old, she doesn't even have any tattoos.

...

738.  I am so damn old, I actually like AI.

spike




On Thu, Jun 4, 2026, 9:05 AM BillK via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> On Wed, 3 Jun 2026 at 22:56, spike jones via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> > I am seeing a disturbing lack of enthusiasm on the part of the young
> however.  The prevailing attitude in the under 20 crowd is negative on AI.
> I don’t know why.
> >
> > spike
> >  _______________________________________________
>
> Why not ask an AI why the young folk dislike AI?   :)
> BillK
>
> According to Perplexity AI -
>
> Yes, there is a notable dislike and growing skepticism toward AI among the
> under-21 age group, despite high usage rates.
> Key findings on young people's attitudes toward AI:
> Aspect Statistic / Finding
> *Optimism declining* Only 18% of 14–29 year olds are optimistic about AI,
> down from 27% last year
> *Negative sentiment* Nearly 1/3 of young adults report feeling *anger*
> toward AI
> *More bad than good* 47% of under-30s say AI has been more harmful than
> beneficial (highest of any age group)
> *Daily use despite dislike* Over 50% of Gen Z regularly uses generative
> AI, but many are curbing use
> Main reasons for the dislike:
>
>    1.
>
>    *Job market fears* – Young people worry AI is taking over entry-level
>    jobs they expected to rely on after graduation
>    2.
>
>    *Cognitive concerns* – 79% believe AI makes people lazier; 62% think
>    it makes them less sharp. Many fear it harms their *creativity and
>    critical thinking*
>    3.
>
>    *Academic integrity worries* – Fear of cheating accusations when using
>    AI for schoolwork
>    4.
>
>    *Distrust of big tech* – Plain skepticism of corporations and
>    institutions pushing AI as "the next big thing"
>    5.
>
>    *Environmental & privacy concerns* – AI's environmental impact and
>    privacy breaches are cited by teens
>    6.
>
>    *Mental health parallels* – Having seen social media harm their
>    generation's mental health, many see AI as an extension of that problem
>
> This phenomenon is sometimes called the "*AI paradox*": more exposure and
> fluency with AI correlates with less confidence and more negative feelings
> about it.
> -------------------------------------
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