Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next big leap in technology. At least that’s what all the big tech companies would like us to believe. Companies like GitHub offer AI coding tools that make programming easier, and Shutterstock recently released its own AI-powered image and video generation tools. But at the same time, it’s no secret that many users despise AI, which is confirmed by the fact that people are deleting the ChatGPT app in droves.
But few people are more concerned about AI than Gen Z. Generally, these are people born in the late ’90s to early 2000s (more specifically, between 1997 and 2012). This generation has never experienced a time without the internet, but now they live in an era where AI is increasingly present in their daily lives. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why Gen Z is turning their back on AI.
AI is encroaching on the job market
One of Gen Z’s biggest complaints about AI is its presence at every level of the job market. While countless companies are using AI to fill the role of human workers, those that aren’t often use it to sift through job applications. According to a recent Gallup poll, 72% of American workers believe now is a “bad time” to find a “quality job.” Indeed, people have been worried for several years that AI would start taking our jobs, and the current job market only confirms those fears.
And when we talk about the job market, we can’t ignore the impact that AI is having on this generation. In an interview with The Verge, cloud infrastructure engineer Sharon Freystaetter pointed out how many jobs in her field currently require some kind of AI knowledge. Ironically, the article goes on to note that Freistetter quit his job due to “ethical concerns and concerns” regarding AI data centers. With the vicious cycle of over-reliance on AI in the job market, it’s no wonder that Gen Z is finding itself in a no-win scenario at work.
AI may have the biggest impact on artists and designers
One aspect of the job market that is particularly affected by generative AI is the art industry. If you’ve ever used an AI image generator, you know that it can churn out images faster than most artists can block drafts. Just a few years ago, it was easy to spot images and videos generated by AI, but technology has improved and it has become more difficult to tell them apart. Some companies are trying to make it easier to distinguish rendered art from the real thing, such as Spotify, which added badges to help users distinguish between real artists and AI. However, this is not always the case. That’s why some users are trying to hold companies accountable.
Perhaps one of the most vocal subcultures in the anti-AI movement are gamers, many of whom belong to Generation Z. All it takes is one person to notice that a particular video game studio is using AI-generated images, and gamers all over the internet will rush to boycott it. The developers of “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” came under fire for using generated AI images (pictured above) that mimicked Studio Ghibli’s art, while the development team for “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” attracted controversy simply because they used generated AI to create placeholder images that were included in the full release.
AI is making us stupid
Earlier this year, researchers at Cornell University published a study on the effectiveness of using generative AI for paper writing. According to the study, electroencephalogram tests that measure brain activity showed that participants who used AI to write their papers had less brain activity than those who used search engines to supplement their writing or simply relied on their own creativity. In fact, participants who utilized large-scale language models (LLMs) could not even cite their own research results. A similar study by Harvard Business Review showed that the widespread use of AI is overtaxing the brain, resulting in what the authors called an “AI brain fly.” If you want to know what it would be like to be stripped of critical thinking skills (aka Gen Z’s worst nightmare), watch Idiocracy.
While AI certainly has benefits in education, recent research from Collegeboard.org shows some worrying trends. According to the study, high school students’ use of GenAI tools increased from 79% to 84% between January 2025 and May 2025. This is just one semester. While the majority of school administrators seem to think AI tools are valuable, the report adds that about 40% of schools and districts prohibit AI for students.
AI is polluting the environment
One Google Gemini Prompt uses 0.24 watt-hours of energy, consumes an additional 0.26 milliliters of water, and emits approximately 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide. Multiply this by people all over the world creating countless prompts with every available AI model, and you have a recipe for accelerating climate change. If there’s one generation that’s most concerned about the environment, it’s Gen Z.
According to Pew Research, 32% of Gen Zers said they had personally taken action to address climate change in the past year, compared to 28% of Millennials, 23% of Gen Xers, and 21% of baby boomers and older. Therefore, Gen Z is more concerned about what causes climate change, and AI will only accelerate the damage. The Guardian article cited a study showing that global carbon emissions from the AI boom in 2025 will be comparable to air pollution levels in New York City.
Not all pollution caused by AI is environmental pollution. The energy requirements of data centers are astronomical, putting a strain on the power grid, leading to rolling blackouts and high electricity bills. In addition to that, people living near these data centers also complain about noise pollution. It’s not enough to cause hearing loss, but it’s still a constant discomfort. The more data centers are built, the more people will suffer from drone-like noise. And this is an issue that everyone should pay attention to, not just Gen Z.
AI is being shoved down our throats
The general consensus among Gen Z (and many others) is that the concept of an AI-powered future is being forced upon us, sometimes in the strangest ways and places. Let’s take a look at the place of AI in universities. Now, more universities are offering AI courses and fellowships that teach students how to use AI (much to the chagrin of the Daily Pennsylvanian), and Arizona State University has gone a step further by launching an AI platform that cuts lectures into short clips. According to 404 Media, ASU faculty members were “upset” that their classes were being used in such a way and felt “blindsided or outraged” that they were not given any warning.
AI saturation is so problematic that Gen Zers tend to voice their dissatisfaction at every opportunity. When executives at big tech companies try to promote their AI to college students, they are almost always met with intense heckling. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently tried to do just that, and was immediately booed when he told University of Arizona graduates to “adapt to technology.” And compared to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has been the target of violent attacks involving gunfire and Molotov cocktails, Schmidt was lucky.
