Gen Z x AI: Consciousness, careers, and chatbot confessions

Key takeaways:

• 62% of Gen Zers use artificial intelligence to assist them at work, but 21% have shared sensitive company data with external tools.
• 55% worry AI will replace their jobs within a decade, prompting 40% to consider shifting careers.
• 54% see AI as more than a productivity tool—26% use it as a friend, 16% use it as a therapist, and 12% use it as a fitness coach.
• As AI grows smarter, 58% of Gen Zers worry machines could take over the world, with 44% expecting it in the next 20 years.

If you need help with your workload, who do you ask for help? Not a colleague, but artificial intelligence. And if you’re having troubles in your love life, who do you turn to for support? Not a friend, but ChatGPT.

Gen Z has embraced AI, and for good reason—it can fuel our creativity, take on tedious tasks, and provide instant answers to just about any question. Yet, fears remain over whether the Terminator will come to fruition or if there will be any jobs left once automation fulfills its potential.

So, is AI really a friend or a foe, a helper or a hindrance? EduBirdie surveyed 2000 Gen Zers on how they use it in their work and personal lives—and whether its growing influence is a welcomed change or cause for concern.

Digital souls: Is AI actually conscious?

With tools such as ChatGPT capable of holding fluid conversations, showing emotional understanding, and producing artistic masterpieces, it’s no surprise that 25% of Gen Zers believe AI may already be conscious. Yet, beneath the surface, this seemingly sentient behavior isn’t thinking; it’s pattern-matching—essentially predicting the desired outcome based on its training data.

AI isn’t sentient—yet. But as we edge closer to artificial general intelligence—the point where machines match or surpass humankind’s mental capabilities—will it be friend or foe? Some 58% of Gen Zers believe AI could eventually take over the world, with 44% expecting it to happen within the next 20 years.

So perhaps it’s best to be polite before our new AI overloads take charge. Some 69% of Gen Zers remember their please and thank yous when speaking to ChatGPT.

AI’s career path: Predicting the impact of AI on jobs

But before worrying about AI becoming hellbent on world domination, perhaps we should worry about a more pressing issue: job displacement. With AI’s impact on jobs tipped to be widespread and disruptive, 55% of Gen Zers fear they could be out of a job within the next decade.

Thankfully, AI can’t yet do it all, but there are many areas where the technology is excelling. For instance, with tools such as Midjourney showing AI’s artistic side, 57% of Gen Zers insist that algorithms already outperform them at creative tasks.

Cashiers, customer service agents, legal assistants, and financial advisers—Just about every sector is tipped to experience job losses. Fearing obsolescence and hoping to future-proof their livelihoods, 40% of Gen Zers are considering pivoting careers to stay one step ahead of the machines.

But if there’s one seemingly safe position, it’s management. Just 9% of young workers want to see their boss replaced by an AI algorithm. When asked why, common Gen Z responses included AI being fairer, more neutral, more respectful, and even more "human" than their real bosses.

So when algorithms take charge of the job market, and we’re all left without jobs, who will we turn to to find a new role? AI, of course, with 38% of Gen Zers admitting they’re open to the idea of letting AI handle important career decisions for them.

Working smarter, not harder: How is AI changing the workplace? 

But while AI affecting jobs is a cause for concern, the technology isn’t all bad. For many Gen Zers, the impact of artificial intelligence on employment—at least in its early stages—has been positive, with 35% stressing it has made them more competent at their jobs.

Taking on the dull, repetitive tasks that nobody really wants to do, AI is quickly becoming Gen Z’s favorite colleague, with 62% having turned to the technology to assist them in the workplace. 

How is Gen Z using AI at work? Some 40% are utilizing ChatGPT to write more professional emails, while 24% turn to it to answer their Slack messages. But AI isn’t just assisting with admin. Some 12% have used it to write a resignation letter, while 9% have asked ChatGPT to help negotiate their salary.

There’s no denying AI is proving useful, but as these tools become a workplace staple, they bring new risks into play. Perhaps forgetting that they’re talking to a machine rather than a colleague, 21% of Gen Zers admit they’ve shared sensitive company information with an AI tool.

For all the help AI is providing in the workplace, Gen Z wouldn’t miss it if it were fired. Some 61% insist a workplace ban on AI tools wouldn’t impact their job performance.

Bot besties: How Gen Zers use AI in their personal lives

For 54% of Gen Zers, ChatGPT is more than just a work colleague. Offering advice, conversation, and support with just about any problem, it’s a friend (26%), a therapist (16%), a fitness coach (12%), and even a romantic partner (6%) all in one.

And when things go wrong in our love lives? It’s a shoulder to cry on and a source of wisdom. Some 19% of Gen Zers say they’ve used ChatGPT to write an apology letter, while 8% have used it to craft a breakup message.

But as we rely on AI to help and handle more aspects of our lives, it’s worth remembering that while it may seem all-knowing, these models aren’t always right. Known to get it wrong, you can’t take AI’s word for it—yet just 31% of Gen Zers always fact-check the information they receive. 

AI is reshaping our lives—at work, in our personal lives, and in our relationships. Gen Z is embracing its potential, but the risks loom large. As AI advances, the real issue isn’t what it can do but whether we’re using it safely.