AI has gone from novelty to everyday utility for Gen Z and Millennials—but how young consumers really feel about it is more complicated than adoption alone would suggest. Which AI platforms are they actually using, and how is AI starting to reshape the way they search for information? What are they turning to chatbots for, from work tasks to life advice to creative projects? After years of mounting hype, is their optimism about AI still climbing, or are growing concerns about misinformation, harmful advice, and “AI slop” starting to crowd the conversation? And as brands rush to integrate AI into everything they do, which uses are young consumers welcoming—and which ones are they pushing back on? The relationship between young people and AI is changing fast, and the answers reveal where their trust, attention, and expectations are heading next.
In YPulse’s 2026 AI Report, we dive into how young consumers are using AI in their everyday lives, which platforms they’re using, what they’re asking AI to help them with, why optimism about the tech is cooling, what AI applications they welcome (and reject) from brands, and more.
Report length: 22 pages, North America report is based on surveys of 1500 13-39-year-olds in the U.S. and Canada, fielded April 2026. Western Europe report is based on a survey of 2500 13-39-year-olds in the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, fielded in April 2026
