Why Gen-Z Is Pushing Back Against AI

There’s a disconnect. Most tech companies, brands and boardrooms are AI-maxxing, while more and more young people are trying to log out. Brands and employers are struggling to get young people to buy into the AI boom. According to Gallup, Gen-Z are markedly less excited and more angry about AI than they were last year.

Historically, young people are the first and fastest to adopt new technologies—think video games, texting and social media—by normalizing them before they reach the mainstream. When a new generation pushes back on adopting new technology, leaders should pay attention. Here are three reasons young people are angry about AI and what companies can do about it.

Artificial Competition

Gen-Z are the first generation to compete directly with AI: not only for jobs, but for formative life experiences. For older generations, AI is another tool they can add to their library of acquired skills, experiences and networks. In contrast, Gen-Z are entering adulthood and the job market at the same time as generative AI. Machines and algorithms are taking on many tasks once delegated to young employees. A project previously handed to a keen intern is now prompted within seconds. No need to brief, upskill or pay real people. All this lands on a generation already squeezed by a tough job market, unaffordable housing and a high cost of living. Now they’re competing with machines that don’t sleep.

In the U.K., entry-level vacancies have dropped 32% since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. In the U.S., employment for workers aged 22 to 25 in the most AI-exposed jobs is 19% below that of peers in less-exposed work. In China, a record 12.7 million university graduates are entering the job market as AI fundamentally reshapes white-collar roles. The lack of meaningful entry-level opportunities is making some young people feel surplus to requirements, just when they should be most excited and hopeful about the future.