In today’s world, it’s impossible to talk about technology without talking about Artificial Intelligence. For some, AI is the magical solution to all of life’s current and future problems. For others, it is the amalgamation of everything unholy to ever touch the Earth, and will subsequently be the ender of humanity. Nonetheless AI is growing at a substantial pace, and the possibilities of use and applications for AI… well, we might have to consult ChatGPT for some suggestions. Being such a hot topic, it’s no surprise that AI has caught the eye of literally everyone, from major brands to the common person. Brands have already taken stabs at using and incorporating AI – some successful, like Heinz with DALL•E 2, and others much less so, with some even leading to legal ramifications, like Air Canada’s chatbot.
We’ve found that AI hasn’t won over the common person either: Gen Zs in The Koi Pond rated their favorability for AI at a 6.95 out of 10. That’s a C- at best. What’s up with that?
Gen Z’s New Reality
When you take a closer look, it’s not that surprising; we are the first “digitally-native” generation after all. In fact, Gen Z is rather familiar with AI. According to The Koi Pond, the vast majority of Gen Zs have first heard the term “artificial intelligence” as children or as teens, learning about the applications and implications from various books, TV shows, movies, and games. The stories we experienced have shaped the way we see AI, from the beloved Halo assistant Cortana to the apocalyptic world illustrated in the Matrix. With AI chatbots, image generators, and voice cloners announced everyday, it feels like the doomsday scenarios we only used to imagine could suddenly shift from “ifs” to “whens” any day. The very thought that everything we watch, read, hear, and experience from here on out can be controlled haunts us to our very core, and we seem to be inching closer to that world everyday. Yet, despite our concerns, we’ve found that 92.5% of our Gen Zs in The Koi Pond have used an AI tool before, and the real world use cases and allure of AI continue to draw Gen Z in.
With the release of ChatGPT and Gemini, also comes a change in mindset: Gen Z’s image of AI is shifting, which is changing the very definition of what artificial intelligence is. Nearly half of The Koi Pond respondents mentioned recently changing their definition of AI, from the “sentient computers” or “machines that think like humans” we read, watched, and played about, to Gen Z’s current definitions of AI:
“Computer programs that constantly integrate new data and make changes to itself based on it.” -Emily (b. 2000)
“AI is an algorithmic model that uses the data it has been fed to produce an answer based on a prompt.” -Anastasia (b. 2003)
These new definitions more accurately describe the tools of today, like the ever-evolving chatbots, large language models (LLMs), and neural networks that power Generative AI tools. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other Generative AI tools are the reality that Gen Z is contending with today. In short, the elusive and shiny idea of AI has become tangible and our generation is quite keen on adopting them into their daily lives despite our initial concerns and hesitation.
How Gen Z is using AI today
Although Millennials are the current power-users of AI, Gen Z is not too far behind, adopting tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and DALL•E 2 to assist with their daily tasks. Even from within the Koi Pond, nearly a third of our respondents are power-users of AI, with 30.6% using Generative AI tools at least once a week.
For Daniel (b. 2000) using AI is a means to help with daily tasks. “I use ChatGPT for a lot of minor tasks, like searching for stuff that’s hard to find on Google, and for a lot of recipe ideas, cause I never know what to do with the ingredients I buy.” Other Koi Ponders share a similar sentiment, citing article summaries, travel itineraries, gym routines, and creating schedules as other tasks they’ve asked chatbots to do.
Asia (b. 1997) uses AI as a means to help achieve and create. “I literally have no coding experience, but I’ve always wanted to try building my own game, like obviously that’s too crazy so I decided to start with something easier, so I’m trying to design a website right now. To be totally honest, I have no idea how any of it works, but ChatGPT has been a lifesaver with it. I kinda just describe what I kinda want to it, and then ask it to code it and it like pops it out. And like, it works…It’s all bits and pieces right now, so I’m trying to make it all fit together. Maybe I’ll use ChatGPT for that too.” Many Gen Z AI users fall into this camp as well, relying on ChatGPT and other chatbots as brainstorm partners or writing assistants with their work.
Is AI Gen Z?
For Gen Z, AI is all about “doing more with less”—the same scrappiness and ingenuity that motivated Gen Z to build their dream projects or start their own business. The democratization of AI and the seemingly infinite number of free-to-use chatbots, coders, and image generators have allowed Gen Z to pursue their dreams either by automating a portion of their lives, or acting as a creative copilot on their ambitions. Even after the novelty of generative AI tools has worn off, the convenience and time saved by AI gives Gen Zs a reason to stay. It is this availability, utility, and ease of use that is ultimately winning Gen Zs favorability.
The best part is, these qualities aren’t limited to AI. Brands looking to reach Gen Z across any industry can tap into these ideals to gain Gen Z’s attention. Just like with the current state of Gen Z marketing, Gen Zs aren’t buying into the gimmick, we’re looking for longtime partners and tools we can use to further our goals. For Gen Z, AI is the inevitable future, not simply a one-off marketing stunt for social media. Whether you’re developing an AI chatbot for customer service, or trying to set your brand up for longterm Gen Z success, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I filling a real need or solving a human problem?
- Am I listening to what users have to say and in-tune with the user experience?
- Is my solution convenient and intuitive?
- Can my audience easily adopt this change? How can I make that adoption easier?
- How can I continue to adapt to my user's changing needs and make their lives easier?
If you’re unsure about any of the above, NinetyEight is here to help! Or you can ask ChatGPT. Either way, it’ll say the same thing.
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