From deepfakes to job security jitters, the generation raised on the internet isn’t blindly embracing the AI revolution. Let’s talk about it.

We’ve heard the gospel of AI preached loud and proud: it’s coming for your inbox, your doctor’s office, your playlists, and maybe even your job. Silicon Valley can’t stop foaming at the mouth about how artificial intelligence is here to “enhance” our lives. But if you think the generation that grew up in a digital jungle gym is cheering from the sidelines, think again.

Gen Z—the babies of broadband, the TikTok engineers, the same folks who can spot a filter from ten pixels away—aren’t exactly thrilled about the algorithm apocalypse. In fact, they’re raising their eyebrows and asking some sharp, necessary questions. And guess what? They’re not wrong.

Let’s break this down. Gen Z came of age in a digital era marinated in misinformation, Big Brother-level surveillance, and algorithmic chaos. While millennials watched the internet evolve, Gen Z was practically swaddled in Wi-Fi. And yet, their relationship with technology isn’t blind infatuation. It’s complicated, it’s skeptical—and it’s rooted in a very real understanding of how tech can fail, manipulate, and exploit.

Job Security: The New Digital Hunger Games

Sure, AI can make your Spotify playlists spicier. But it’s also gunning for entry-level gigs, creative hustles, and anything remotely repetitive. Gen Z already knows the economy isn’t their bestie—between rising living costs and stagnant wages, they’re entering a workforce that feels more like a game of musical chairs, only now the DJ is a robot.

One recent Gallup survey found that nearly 70% of Gen Z respondents felt uneasy about AI replacing human jobs. This isn’t paranoia. It’s pattern recognition. The industries most vulnerable to automation—customer service, design, marketing—are packed with Gen Z talent.

Bias, Algorithms, and the Digital Mirror

Gen Z isn’t just worried about losing jobs—they’re worried about losing justice. AI isn’t neutral. It’s coded by humans, and humans come with bias baked in. We’ve already seen facial recognition software misidentify Black faces, predictive policing target marginalized communities, and algorithms push toxic content to the top of our feeds.

So, when Gen Z questions who’s writing the code and who’s holding them accountable, that’s not drama—it’s data. They want answers about how decisions are being made, why certain content is being amplified, and who’s making bank while the rest of us are drowning in misinformation.

(AI is biased against speakers of African American English, study finds)

Deepfakes and the Death of Reality

Raise your hand if you’ve seen a video that felt too real to be fake. Deepfakes—those eerily convincing video forgeries—are only getting better (read: scarier). For Gen Z, who already swims in a sea of filters and face-tuning, the idea that anyone could be digitally cloned is straight-up dystopian.

This goes way beyond catfishing. We’re talking about the ability to create false narratives that could sway elections, ruin reputations, or worse. Deepfakes threaten not just personal privacy, but public trust. And Gen Z knows the difference between a meme and a manipulation.

Surveillance Fatigue: Living in the Truman Show

Let’s not forget—this generation grew up knowing their data wasn’t private. Every click, scroll, and “I just said that out loud and now I see an ad for it” moment has primed them for paranoia. AI has the power to track facial expressions, analyze your tone, and predict your behavior before you even know what you want.

Imagine living under that microscope 24/7. It’s no wonder Gen Z has a complicated relationship with tech. They understand that convenience often comes at the cost of autonomy.

(The AI seies: AI and Surveillance Capitalism | Studio B: Unscripted)

The AI Double-Edged Sword

Here’s where it gets nuanced: Gen Z isn’t completely anti-AI. They use it daily—autocorrect, voice assistants, content curation. They get it. But they’re pushing for it to be better, safer, and fairer. They want a future where tech serves the people—not just the corporations writing the checks.

They’re asking the kinds of questions everyone should be asking: Who benefits from this tech? Who gets harmed? Who gets to opt out? Because opting out isn’t really an option when your school, job, or city decides AI is the new sheriff in town.

And Us? We Should Be Paying Attention

As Black women, we already know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of broken systems. Whether it’s medicine, media, or the workplace, we’ve seen how tech can ignore us, misrepresent us, or flat-out fail us. So when Gen Z starts sounding the alarm about AI, we shouldn’t scoff. We should amplify.

This isn’t about halting progress. It’s about steering it in the right direction. If AI is going to shape our future, then Gen Z’s caution is not just smart—it’s necessary. They’re the canaries in the digital coal mine, and their anxiety? It’s a signal we can’t afford to ignore.

So next time someone calls Gen Z “overly sensitive” about tech, remind them: questioning power isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. And if AI is going to be part of our lives, let’s make damn sure it’s working for us, not replacing or erasing us.

(Ethical considerations of AI)

(Between Tech, Democracy, and Marginalized Communities)