How Many Gen Z Users Think AI is Conscious?

A new survey reveals Gen Z’s deeply conflicted relationship with artificial intelligence.

EduBirdie surveyed 2,000 people aged 18–27. It found they view AI both as a helpful companion and a looming threat.

Half of the respondents believe AI will become conscious in the future, while 25% already think it is.

Despite these fears, most still use it daily, often as more than just a productivity tool.

According to the study, 54% of Gen Z use AI to boost productivity. But 26% use it as a friend, 16% as a therapist, 12% as a fitness coach and 6% as a romantic partner.

Some have even turned to ChatGPT for help navigating relationship arguments.

This strange intimacy has become a running joke online.

On social media, young people are often mocked for relying on AI to do basic tasks like answering simple questions.

Still, many treat their AI tools with the same manners they’d show a person. Respondents said they frequently use “please” and “thank you” when chatting to bots.

It’s a modern twist on a long-running debate: how should we treat humanlike machines?

Some parents worry that voice assistants like Alexa teach children it’s acceptable to be rude.

Others argue that kids should be taught the opposite, that machines are not human and don’t need courtesy.

The survey also found that 62% of Gen Z use AI at work. Their trust in its performance is striking: 57% say it’s better than people at creative tasks.

That doesn’t mean they’re relaxed about the future.

Half of those surveyed believe AI will replace their job within a decade.

According to EduBirdie, this risk is already reshaping career paths:

“40% [are] considering changing careers to ‘future-proof their livelihoods [and] stay one step ahead of the machines.’”

Their fears go far beyond employment.

The survey found: “58% think machines could take over the world. 44% expect that to happen within 20 years.”

These concerns may be fuelling a sense of unease about the future.

At work, AI is increasingly being used to communicate. Forty per cent said they use it to write more professional emails.

Others said they use it to brainstorm polite ways to say “no” (27%) or to write responses in work chats (24%).

Not everyone believes this is making them better workers.

Thirteen per cent said AI has made them “less competent”. That’s despite 35% saying it made them more competent.

Some may be pushing boundaries too far.

Though 79% claim they haven’t shared sensitive information with AI, one in five admit they have.

This could land them in trouble – some workers have already been fired for doing exactly that.

When it comes to management, the majority of Gen Z are firmly against robot bosses.

Only 9% said they would prefer one.

Yet even here, the picture is nuanced.

Those in favour said an AI boss might be “fairer, more neutral, more respectful, and even more ‘human’ than their real bosses”, the survey says.