Young Americans are using artificial intelligence (AI) regularly, but their distrust and resentment toward the technology are also growing, according to a new Gallup survey.

The survey, released Thursday, found that more than half of Generation Z respondents ages 14 to 29 said they use generative AI either daily or weekly. Younger members of Gen Z who are still in K–12 education were more likely than Gen Z adults to say they use AI at least weekly.

Yet even as usage remains widespread, optimism is fading. Compared with Gallup’s survey last year, young people are less excited about the changes AI could bring and more skeptical about its growing presence.

The share of respondents who said AI made them feel hopeful fell to 18 percent, down from 27 percent a year earlier, according to Gallup. The share who said it made them feel excited dropped to 22 percent from 36 percent.

At the same time, negative feelings have grown. Thirty-one percent of respondents said AI made them feel angry, up 9 percentage points from 2025, while 42 percent said it made them feel anxious, roughly unchanged from last year.

Among employed members of Gen Z, skepticism was especially pronounced. Gallup found that 48 percent of working Gen Z respondents said the risks of AI in the workplace outweigh the benefits, an 11-point increase from the previous year. Only 15 percent said they viewed AI as a net positive on the job.

Confidence in the technology’s practical value also faltered. Just 37 percent said AI would help them find accurate information, down from 43 percent a year earlier. Only 31 percent said it would help them generate new ideas, down from 42 percent in 2025.

Still, younger respondents who have not yet entered the workforce continue to see AI as a skill they will need to understand. Gallup found that 52 percent of Gen Z students in K-12 said they believe they will need to know how to use AI in higher education, while 48 percent said they expect to use it in their future careers.

“Gen Z isn’t rejecting AI outright, but they are reassessing its role in their lives. What we’re seeing in the data is a generation that recognizes AI’s utility but is increasingly concerned about its long-term impact on learning, trust, and career readiness,” Stephanie Marken, senior partner at Gallup, said in a news release.

“Their growing skepticism signals a need for more thoughtful integration of these tools in both school settings and the workplace.”

Gallup surveyed 1,572 people ages 14 to 29 across all 50 states and District of Columbia between Feb. 24 and March 4. The poll, commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

The findings come as another Gallup study pointed to growing unease among college students about AI. That report, released last week, found that almost half of bachelor’s degree students said AI had caused them to give at least a fair amount of thought to changing their major. The share was even higher among associate degree students.

Students in technology and vocational fields appeared especially uneasy, according to that survey. A majority of respondents in the humanities, business, and engineering also reported similar concerns.