Generation Z Aren’t Sold On AI, And It’s Limiting Enterprise Adoption

Tim Keary; Forbes; 6/22/26

The Generation Z Backlash Against AI

14% decline in excitement about AI since 2025

48% of working Gen Zers believe the risks of AI outweigh its benefits

15% say the opposite

37% that see the risks and benefits as equal.

44% of Gen Z employees admit to sabotaging their company's AI strategy

Sabotage behaviours include entering proprietary information into AI tools, using non-approved AI tools, refusing to use AI tools or outputs, ignoring guidelines or best practices, intentionally generating low-quality outputs, refusing to take AI training and tampering with performance metrics to make AI appear to underperform.

Too many companies haven’t given their employees a vision to believe in,” Habib said

Bridging The Divide

AI erased 16,000 net jobs per month over the past year, with Gen Z and entry-level workers bearing the brunt of the impact.

Concerns range from the mass scraping of intellectual property without consent, the environmental impact of AI, the proliferation of “AI slop” online and the spread of deepfakes.

pro-AI messaging could alienate many workers.

The Pro AI Gen Z Cohort

43% of Gen Z are classified as AI “super-users,” compared to 40% of millennials, 29% of Gen X and 25% of Baby Boomers.

76% of Gen Z employees say AI is pushing them toward higher-level work compared to 56% of millennials and 48% of Gen X.

...the people that get ahead will be those that can use them creatively and commercially...our research finds Gen Z are already doing this: 59% say they trust AI to do parts of their work

only 10% of Gen Z globally fear being replaced by AI.

A Gen Z AI Optimist

there are a number like Ewald who are experimenting with these tools in their work and personal lives.

I’ve used it to help better understand job applications, organize ideas, improve networking, and learn concepts faster.

She argues that AI can’t replace the “human side of things,” including critical thinking, empathy, creativity, ethical judgement and listening.

Forced AI Mandates

companies can just avoid hiring employees without AI skills and enforce mandates in the workplace

such moves are as likely to alienate employees and damage the employee experience

54% of workers bypassed their company's AI tools and completed work manually.

leaders can allow employees to choose how to use these tools in a way that benefits them.

training is a great starting point for educating employees about the benefits of AI

What specific concerns do Gen Z workers express?

Are those concerns primarily about income and employment, or about something else?

The reframing this week suggests that Gen Z skepticism is not just about whether AI will take their jobs, but about autonomy, dignity, and the meaning of work. Does the Forbes piece support that interpretation?