Let’s face it, Generation Z has become one of the most technically-developed generations. Most of us have already grown up with computers, the Internet, social media, personal mobile phones, and many other technological advancements, that weren’t available even to millennials during their young age. It seems that this fact highly influences the way that different generations utilize modern-day technologies in their day-to-day lives.
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Key Takeaways:
- Gen Z is leading the charge in generative AI adoption, with 70% using technologies like ChatGPT, while the majority of those unfamiliar are from older generations.
- Despite concerns about potential misuse, such as deepfakes, 90% of AI users are satisfied, highlighting its time-saving, user-friendly, and educational benefits.
- The generational divide is evident as older generations lag in embracing AI’s potential, raising questions about future tech integration across age groups.
Browsing through Reddit we came across an interesting survey that showed more than half of Gen Z people are using generative AI whereas boomers still don’t understand its purpose:
“75% of people who use generative AI use it for work and 70% of Gen Z uses generative AI, according to a new 4,000-person survey by Salesforce. In contrast, 68% of those unfamiliar with the technology are from Gen X or the boomer generation.”
Of the entire surveyed population, nearly half (49%) have experienced the benefits of generative AI. However, this leaves 51% who are yet to dip their toes in the AI waters.
When delving deeper into the purposes behind using generative AI, a significant 75% use it for work-related tasks. Leisure and educational purposes account for another third of its usage. Users are finding the technology advantageous in several ways:
- 46% appreciate its time-saving capabilities
- 42% praise its user-friendliness
- 35% find it beneficial for learning purposes
However, not everyone is convinced. Some skeptics remain on the fence about the technology’s impact. The survey revealed that 40% are unfamiliar with its applications, while others raise concerns about potential misuse, such as deepfake scams.
User satisfaction statistics remain promising. An overwhelming 90% of users are content with the results generated by AI models, believing they meet or even exceed expectations.
This survey collected responses from 4,041 individuals, aged 18 and above, spanning four countries: the U.S., the UK, Australia, and India. As generative AI continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how these statistics might shift in the coming years.
What Does Reddit Have to Say
As the information was posted on Reddit, a well-known discussion platform, its users didn’t seem to be much surprised by the facts. It also raised a lot of buzz among millennials, on why they weren’t highlighted separately in the survey.
“The forgotten Millenians. Who knows what they are doing.”
“I came to say the same 🙂 Millennial here using it daily to help improve productivity in my job. I fancy myself a “pro” with getting it to optimize my workflow.”
“Yeah, honestly, in spite of being a GenXer, I find I use ChatGPT more than most of my co-workers, most younger than me.”
“Same. Elder GenX has been using Chapt-GPT daily for months, as well as experimenting with Midjourney and other AI tools. Working on steering my career to be more AI-focused.”
Someone even mentioned that they believe it’s the next generation that will be the all-powerful AI knowers since they will grow up interacting with the technology:
“I might be buying into the hype too soon, but I think the next generation after Gen Z will be the AI generation in the way millennials were the internet generation, and Gen Z was the social media generation. They will grow up with it, and it will be part of the fabric of their life.”
Is ChatGPT Viewed as Helpful?
Others, however, focused more on the facts of using ChatGPT and whether it is at all helpful in its current form. And here, the thoughts varied from one side to the opposite, with some finding AI tools completely unnecessary and others saying they were able to complete tremendous work with its help:
“I just don’t see the point of using it personally. There is nothing in my life I need some long, pseudo-correct answer to that I can’t find the actual truth about in 5 extra minutes. People are conflating convenience with correctness and it’s going to lead to some fucked up decisions in the future.”
“I used Chatgpt to educate myself on a niche subject then built a website using Chatgpt to write educational blog articles, then got some do follow backlinks from niche blogs and am ranking top 5 for the niche. I get high-value leads almost daily. older generations are sleeping. This is a great opportunity.”
“Lots of jobs require the production of filler. ChatGPT + human proofreading generates filler faster. Lots of companies are shelling out for AI that has been trained on their internal documentation and approved resources.”
What People Are Actually Using ChatGPT For
As the conversation continued, many started to share ways that they use ChatGPT in their life, to make it either more fun, interesting, or easier.
Of course, one mentioned way was for educational purposes:
“Im in law school, I don’t use it to learn about case law but to explain certain types of legal concepts or statutes it is goddamn amazing. Like having a legal scholar at my disposal to help me learn on demand.”
“Same with med school. So long as you have the expertise to debunk erroneous information, it’s an amazing tool.”
Interestingly, others used ChatGPT for fun, mainly to help them organize their D&D playing sessions:
“One thing in particular is it’s made a part of my D&D DM job much easier. I can sketch a plotline and brief NPC synopses and backstories and have ChatGPT flesh out the details. “Good enough” most of the time.”
“My older kid and I had a ton of fun creating D&D plots with it! I also used it for my last character. I’m using it now with my youngest, who keeps asking me about plots, names, and character development for a set of books he’s creating. I feel mildly guilty about using ChatGPT for this, but it’s come up with some legit great ideas that helped spark his imagination.”
And of course, AI tools, and ChatGPT specifically, proved to be game-changers in different working fields, starting from education to computer science, and even sales.
“I’m homeschooling, and it’s generated some great lesson plans for the extra courses we do outside his online school. I’ve also shown him how to use it for school, with much the same caveats that I use for calculators. He has to show proficiency with the concepts before using the tool.”
“For work, a lot of what I do would frequently have me going to Stackoverflow. I’d say about 20-30% of what I used to solve on SO is now adequately answered by ChatGPT, though the discussions on SO are often more nuanced and informative than a straightforward ChatGPT answer.”
“I work in sales, cybersecurity, and account management for large corporations. I often engage with CISOs and CIOs. It might seem minor, but when dealing with these professionals, sending precise emails is crucial. ChatGPT has been a game-changer for me in terms of composing emails, creating summaries, outlining agendas, and preparing presentations. It’s now a fundamental part of my daily work, and I can’t imagine not having it anymore.”
Even though this survey may not have been the fullest investigation of the current AI status among different generations, it definitely opened a field for a broad discussion. It seems that many people, no matter if they are Gen X, Boomers, or Gen Z, find themselves using artificial intelligence to their advantage.
The Key Idea
The data is clear: Generative AI technologies like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly popular, but not just among youngsters. They may scream louder about it, but there are boomers and millennials who still benefit from utilizing ChatGPT in their daily lives. Users are generally satisfied with the AI, praising its time-saving and learning benefits. Yet, a good chunk of the population, mostly from older generations, either don’t know much about it or worry about misuse like deepfakes.
Still, while some people, with young ones being in the lead, are embracing generative AI for everything from work to Dungeons & Dragons, some part of the older generations seem to be missing out on the technological leap. As AI continues to evolve, it’s worth asking: Will the generational gap close, or will technology keep pushing the ages apart?
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