Gallup: Gen Z AI Excitement Drops from 36% to 22%, Anger Rises to 31% — Adoption Holds Steady at 51%

Gallup·medium signal

A Gallup survey of 1,572 Americans ages 14-29 (Feb-March 2026) reveals a paradox: Gen Z keeps using AI (51% daily/weekly, unchanged) but emotional sentiment has cratered. Excitement dropped from 36% to 22%, hopefulness from 27% to 18%, and anger rose 9 points to 31%. The perceived efficiency benefit is eroding — only 56% say AI speeds up work (down from 66%) and only 46% believe it helps them learn faster (down from 53%). Concerns about cognitive skill erosion are outweighing productivity gains.