Generation Z university students sitting together at table with books and laptopgettyFew words are as controversial among Generation Z as AI. In May, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed at the University of Arizona’s graduation ceremony after telling the audience that AI will touch “every profession” and “every relationship.” Gloria Caulfield, Vice president of strategic alliances at Tavistock Development Company, faced a similar reception when she gave a speech at the University of Central Florida, where she was booed for calling AI the “next industrial revolution.” Likewise, Scott Borchette, CEO of Big Machine Records, was booed by college graduates for discussing the AI revolution during his commencement speech at Middle Tennessee State University.Together, these incidents highlight that many Gen Z graduates are not fans of AI. It also reveals a disconnect between business leaders and younger generations, where the former are more optimistic about the deployment of AI and the latter are increasingly anxious about its impact on their day-to-day lives.The disconnect between leaders and Gen Z needs to be addressed if organizations want to engage younger workers. Dismissing workers' concerns about the impact of AI and automation will only lead to further opposition.The Generation Z Backlash Against AI While generation Z are a diverse group, there is a distinct opposition to AI emerging in this cohort. A study conducted by Gallup surveyed more than 1,500 14-29 year olds and found that there has been a 14% decline in excitement about AI since 2025, with 48% of working Gen Zers believing the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh its benefits, compared to just 15% who say the opposite and 37% that see the risks and benefits as equal. These negative sentiments toward AI are resulting in opposition to adoption both in and out of the enterprise. According to WRITER’s 2026 Enterprise Adoption Survey, 44% of Gen Z employees admit to sabotaging their company's AI strategy in at least one way compared to 29% of employees overall. 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. MORE FOR YOU“Gen Z isn’t anti-AI, they’re anti-replacement. When the boardroom conversation is entirely about cost-cutting, you can’t expect the front lines to cheer," May Habib, cofounder and CEO of WRITER, told me via email. "CEOs have to change not only the messaging, but also the math. AI isn’t about eliminating jobs. Instead, it fundamentally changes what a job is by shifting teams from executing tasks to orchestrating systems. Too many companies haven’t given their employees a vision to believe in,” Habib said. Habib added that “if you want Gen Z to engage,” stop pitching AI as a way to do work cheaper. Instead, give them a digital teammate that handles the busywork and “empower them to build agents that raise the ceiling of their own ambition.” Bridging The Divide Despite tech leaders like Schmidt extolling the virtues of AI, a significant number of Generation Z aren’t convinced. Many are graduating into an extremely challenging job market, with research from Goldman Sachs finding that 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.However, it’s not just the concerns over job losses that are driving animosity toward AI. 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. These issues mean that pro-AI messaging could alienate many workers. Not everyone is going to see automation as a universal benefit. For instance, creative workers and digital artists whose work has been scraped by LLMs may object to using these tools in their workflows.Leaders who want to support adoption among Generation Z and anti-AI workers need to emphasize how these tools can benefit them. Rather than attempting to force users to adopt these tools with mandates, it’s worth considering if training them to automate tedious manual tasks would increase engagement.The Pro AI Gen Z Cohort Despite the notable backlash against AI among many Generation Z workers, there are also many who are enthusiastic about these tools. The WRITER’s survey cited above finds that 43% of Gen Z are classified as AI “super-users,” the highest proportion of any generation, compared to 40% of millennials, 29% of Gen X and 25% of Baby Boomers. Similarly, a report produced by MOO surveyed 1,000 workers and found 76% of Gen Z employees say AI is pushing them toward higher-level work compared to 56% of millennials and 48% of Gen X. “As access to AI tools become increasingly universal, the people that get ahead will be those that can use them creatively and commercially - it’s a pragmatic shift,” Michelle Baltrusitis, associate director, community and social impact at Fiverr. “In fact, our research finds Gen.Z are already doing this: 59% say they trust AI to do parts of their work…Most often, it’s being used to brainstorm workflows, generate content and improve creative projects.” “Gen Z see AI as a tool, rather than a threat. While headlines warn of AI wiping out entry-level roles, the reality is more measured: only 10% of Gen Z globally fear being replaced by AI. For them, rather than replacing core skills, this is about using AI to sharpen their output so they can stay competitive in a labour market where Gen Z are feeling the pressure most acutely,” Baltrusitis said.A Gen Z AI Optimist Ashleigh Ewald, a graduate assistant at the Georgia Institute of Technology who is pursuing her Master of Science in Public Policy, told me via email that being at a STEM-focused school had shaped how she looked at AI. “For me, AI works best as a tool, not a replacement for human effort or critical thinking. I’ve used it to help better understand job applications, organize ideas, improve networking, and learn concepts faster. I think a lot of Gen Z is using AI in similar ways, almost like having an assistant or tutor available when you need help navigating life, work, or early adulthood,” Ewald said. That being said, she notes she understands why people are nervous about AI, especially when it comes to jobs. She argues that AI can’t replace the “human side of things,” including critical thinking, empathy, creativity, ethical judgement and listening. “I believe the danger is not AI itself, but people becoming overly dependent on it without building their own skills too.” So alongside those in Generation Z who are skeptical of AI, there are a number like Ewald who are experimenting with these tools in their work and personal lives. Enterprise leaders need to be prepared to get buy-in from both groups.Forced AI Mandates On paper, companies can just avoid hiring employees without AI skills and enforce mandates in the workplace, but such moves are as likely to alienate employees and damage the employee experience as they are to encourage adoption. After all, no one wants to be forced to use tools that don’t align with their working habits. A survey of 3,750 executives and employees across 14 countries conducted by WalkMe found that 54% of workers bypassed their company's AI tools and completed work manually. Beyond mandates, leaders can offer employees access to tools like Claude Code, alongside tokens and training, so they can choose how to use these tools in a way that benefits them. Not everyone is going to be convinced, but training is a great starting point for educating employees about the benefits of AI while providing them with access to upskilling opportunities.