According to the latest Gallup poll, conducted in conjunction with the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures, 51 percent of Gen Z people — those born between 1997 and 2012 — surveyed in the US who say they are using generative artificial intelligence at least weekly, negative emotions toward it have intensified over the past year.

“Anger about the technology has risen, while excitement and hopefulness have dropped.

Even daily AI users, who generally hold more favorable views of AI, have not become more positive.

In addition, they told the pollsters they are not convinced that AI enhances creativity or critical thinking, and the majority believe it may come at a cost — particularly to learning.” Those with jobs said the risks of AI outweigh its benefits, and trust in AI-assisted work is lower than in exclusively human output.

Bloomberg reacted to the results of the Gallup survey by saying the findings are contrary to what is normal with new technology.

“Typically, younger people are more enthusiastic about new technologies, since they are usually the ones who benefit most from them in the future.

The fact that they are souring on this one is not a good sign for its future.” Bloomberg contributor Walter Frick cited a 2023 study that found older people are generally more likely to believe new technologies are dangerous while younger people are more likely to embrace them.

The pessimism about AI revealed by the Gallup data is atypical in that regard.

“Many of us who didn’t grow up with AI naturally assume it is corroding society, just as past generations felt about the internet, radio, and novels,” he said.

“But John Protzko, a professor of psychology at Central Connecticut State University and one of the authors of the Gallup study, suggested the results were consistent with his research.

‘Those who never use generative AI are the most anxious and angry about the technology.

When we do not use a new technology, we tend to think it is scary or dangerous.’” Heavy AI users are generally more optimistic about its effects on their careers than occasional users and non-users.

While that remains true, Gallup found that even those heavy users within Gen Z are growing more pessimistic.

“As someone who uses generative AI daily, it has a good number of uses, but it is deeply flawed and wrong all of the time,” Protzko added.

“That is probably why feelings are souring on Gen-AI, even among daily users.

Once you use it consistently, you easily see its shortcomings.

So we are dealing with a flawed technology that is fun to use for some purposes, but companies are over-adopting with the promise to not have to hire early-career workers.” Those are precisely the people the poll was directed toward.

“Who wouldn’t sour on it under those conditions?” he asked.

Boomers Go All In On AI Lloyd Alter, the Sage Of Toronto, has a different take on AI as it affects older people.

In his latest Substack post, he said, “I have been playing with Claude.

I worry that it is seductive and powerful and will make phone addiction look quaint.” He quotes Stephen Yoder, who retired from the Wall Street Journal in 2022.

Today, he and his wife Karen write a blog for “retirement rookies” like themselves.

Recently, they wrote that free time for retirees often gets consumed by social media.

“I’m part of an epidemic among retirees,”....