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Will Gen Z put the reins on AI?

Let’s talk about why Gen Z’s collective social consciousness, more so than any other generation, will put responsible controls on AI.

3 min read

By Mike Driehorst 01/26/26

AI in MarketingMarketing

Image via Victor Habbick Visions/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Illustration of "AI" with a genie rising up from it. Used for SmartBrief Marketing Original article with headline: Will Gen Z put the reins on AI?

Victor Habbick Visions/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

While we can’t put the AI genie back in its lamp, I wonder … how much its growth will slow the more Generation Z makes its presence felt in the workplace? 

As an anecdote, after three of my kids (ages 18 to 24) were recently asked about a generative AI image in a Facebook post, their reactions were not positive. Interestingly, their negative reactions had nothing to do with the creativity of the image, but rather with the amount of resources used, especially when there were other options.

Gen Z is well known for its stance to fight climate change, among other societal causes. So, it’s natural to think they will seek to minimize AI’s drain on energy usage – once they move up to management ranks.

Generative AI is indeed a drain on natural resources, far more than other means of content creation and search query result generation. For example, the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium says a generative AI search result is nearly 10 times more energy-intensive than a standard web search query. The energy used to create a generative AI image (using the least efficient model) can equal the energy it takes to charge a smartphone to 50%, per an Akepa infographic.

And, the backlash against generative AI extends beyond environmental concerns. Concerns about trusting images and videos online are only growing. There’s also concern that just about anyone (especially those with little to no skills with using creative tools) can use generative AI to create explicit content.

Of course, brand safety* is paramount in the AI era and there are fears of jobs being replaced by AI and automation. *(A senior product manager at Google published thoughts on this at Forbes.)

Let’s face it, all that can be scary. But I’m not here to say AI is evil and suggest we should go back to 2015 or even Nov. 29, 2022.

What I am saying is that Gen Z has valid concerns. As members of Gen Z continue their career paths and move into management and then into executive positions, there will be greater pressure for the responsible use of AI. 

But why wait until then? Let’s start now.

Below are links to resources and how-tos to lean into an environmentally aware use of AI:

Bonus: And don’t think it’s just Gen Z who’s leery of AI. Research from The Harris Poll found a desire among those aged 8 to 12 to put their phone down. There are other signs that Gen Alpha has concerns over AI use.