How Gen Z Uses Gen AI—and Why It Worries Them

by Benjamin Lira, Dunigan Folk, Lyle Ungar and Angela L. Duckworth

January 28, 2026

Fajrul Islam/Getty Images

Summary.

As go the young, so goes society. Young adults were early adopters of cell phones, social media, and the internet. Now all of these technologies are universal. So how are members of Gen Z using generative AI today? How do they feel about it? What promising use cases have they discovered? And what are the implications for employers?

Benjamin Lira is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. He studies the upskilling and deskilling effects of using AI productivity tools.

Dunigan Folk is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. He studies how turning to AI for companionship impacts loneliness and well-being.

Lyle Ungar is a Professor of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Ungar studies how to build and evaluate LLM-based chatbots and voicebots that better “understand” users and competently handle emotionally sensitive conversations.

Angela L. Duckworth is a psychologist, a MacArthur Fellow, and the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth’s TED talk on grit is among the most viewed of all time and her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Read more on Technology and analytics or related topics AI and machine learning, Generative AI, Automation and Business and society

How Gen Z Uses Gen AI—and Why It Worries Them

Summary.

Partner Center