The more young people use AI, the more they hate it | The Verge

AITechThe more young people use AI, the more they hate itCaught between fears of job loss and social stigma, Gen Z’s opinions of AI are hitting new lows.by Janus RoseApr 30, 2026, 11:00 AM UTCLinkShareGift Image: The VergeAITechThe more young people use AI, the more they hate itCaught between fears of job loss and social stigma, Gen Z’s opinions of AI are hitting new lows.by Janus RoseApr 30, 2026, 11:00 AM UTCLinkShareGiftIt’s been almost three years since Silicon Valley started aggressively pushing large language model-based chatbots like ChatGPT as the supposedly inevitable future of everything, and there’s no group that has felt the pressure quite like Gen Z.Like with many tech trends before it, it’s no surprise that young people are among the biggest adopters of AI chatbot tools. But contrary to the tales spun by tech companies like OpenAI and Google, polling data shows that Gen Z students and workers are a big part of the wider cultural backlash against AI. And even as they utilize these tools, vast swaths of young people are deeply acrimonious and even resentful of the AI-centric future that many feel is being forced on them.“The part that feels scariest to me is the human impact … their ability to have relationships or just basic communication.”Far from the stereotype of lazy young people looking for shortcuts, Gen Zers have had some of the loudest and most detailed objections to generative AI use. Their attitudes also reflect a much wider backlash against AI and...