The AI ​​generation grows up in skepticism.

Growing up in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), Gen Z is becoming the most skeptical group regarding AI.

Teacher Lindsay Johnson guides students on how to use Canva AI to support a creative assignment in the classroom at Roosevelt School in Illinois - Photo: AP

The technology once expected to unleash human potential is now seen by many young people as a threat to learning, creativity, and future careers.

More than half of Gen Z in the US use AI at least once a week, but enthusiasm is waning.

According to a new Gallup survey, cited by the Financial Times on June 1st, the percentage of Gen Z who feel excited about AI has decreased from 36% to 22%, while the percentage of those who feel angry has increased from 22% to 31%.

That paradox raises a big question: does increased use of AI equate to increased fear?

The more you use it, the more skeptical you become.

In education, many young people believe that AI is "stealing" the most exciting part of knowledge: the process of self -discovery .

New Master's graduate Misha (24 years old) from Imperial College London argues that AI has devalued fundamental programming skills, as many young programmers today seem to be supervising AI at work instead of directly writing code.

Student Celeste Collet also admitted that time pressure led her to increasingly rely on AI for her thesis – AI helped optimize speed, but also caused her to learn less by skipping the experience of reading the material, tracing references, and building her own arguments.

In the labor market, the Financial Times describes the current recruitment process as an "arms race" between humans and algorithms: candidates use AI to send out a flood of resumes, and businesses use AI to filter them.

This has led to a haunting question for the younger generation: if they use AI to do most jobs, are they proving themselves completely vulnerable to being replaced by AI?

In the US, negative reactions to AI are increasingly evident. This trend has also fueled the growth of "tech detox" communities, including the Luddite Club – founded in 2021 in Brooklyn, where a group of young people meet weekly to read, paint, and disconnect from their phones. From a small club, this model has spread to many high schools and universities across the United States.

Source: Financial Times; Data: TAM DUONG; Graphics: TAN DAT

Is the error due to AI?

Anxiety about AI isn't just a US issue. Reuters, citing a Deloitte survey, reports that Gen Z in India is facing increasing financial pressure and job insecurity as AI creates further challenges for an economy already struggling to provide enough jobs for millions of young people.

In engineering schools in India and China, the term "jobpocalypse" has become a haunting keyword as businesses continuously cut staff in positions that could be automated.

In the UK, a 2025 study by Oxford University of students aged 13 to 18 found that 80% regularly use AI for homework, but 62% believe that this technology is negatively impacting their thinking, creativity, and skill development.

In South Korea, a report released in April by the Bank of Korea showed a significant decline in the labor force participation rate of young men over the past five years – the Seoul Economic Daily specifically cited AI as one of the key reasons.

"Young people feel they are being left behind. They are encouraged to embrace technology, but at the same time they are constantly told that jobs will disappear and AI will replace humans," said Baroness Beeban Kidron, a member of the British House of Lords.

However, not all experts agree. Professor Arthur C. Brooks at Harvard University argues that AI tends to break down jobs into smaller tasks rather than eliminate them entirely, and much of the current anxiety stems from a fear of change – while humans are inherently highly adaptable to technological shifts. Therefore, he encourages young people to view this shift as an opportunity for progress.

Fortune magazine argues that this isn't a fear of technology, but rather a reaction from workers who feel unprotected – with nearly 60% of employers using AI as an "excuse" to legitimize layoffs or freeze payroll.

According to many economists, the labor market was already fragile after COVID-19, so it would be unfair to attribute all current problems to AI.

When technology is in the right place

Despite concerns, many young people still see the real value of AI when used purposefully. A Gallup survey shows that 52% of Gen Z students believe they need to learn how to use AI while still in school to prepare for future careers.

Harvard Business Publishing tells the story of Lucy, a young girl whose younger sister suffered short-term memory loss after an accident. Thanks to an AI-powered recording tool that transforms fragmented daily memories into summaries, her sister miraculously regained her learning ability. This demonstrates that, when used correctly, AI doesn't replace humans—it empowers them.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/the-he-ai-lon-len-trong-hoai-nghi-20260603001912346.htm