Gen Z, the youngest generation of workers, is embracing artificial intelligence at the office. Still, according to a new survey, while AI may help with productivity and automating tasks, the technology also has big impacts on mental health and it allows for some sneaky work behavior—with men being the worst offenders.
Resume Genius recently surveyed 1,000 full-time Gen Z employees on how they’re using AI at work and how they feel about its place at the office. Overall, 60% said AI helps them work faster and with less effort, and 56% said the technology improved the accuracy and quality of their work. Meanwhile, 42% believed AI had helped them get new opportunities on the job.
The dark side of AI
Using AI isn’t all sunshine and roses—or, rather, whirlwind productivity. There are personal drawbacks: 37% of respondents said they feel replaceable, and 18% said they could no longer perform their tasks without AI and would have to quit their jobs if it was banned. AI is also taking a hefty toll on mental health: 23% of Gen Zers believe the technology is negatively impacting their mental health, while 39% said that the constant updates that come with AI are “burning them out.” Nearly half of Gen Z workers (49%) believed that the technology could lead to unfair biases.
Alarmingly, Gen Z employees are also using AI in ways that are unethical. Almost a third (31%) have used AI in ways that they know break company policies, including sharing internal data. A staggering 39% said they use AI to automate tasks without their manager’s permission, and 14% said they are doing so often or always. And nearly one-third of workers (30%) are straight-up using AI to generate fake work in an effort to look more productive.
The gender gap widens
There’s a large gender gap with AI use: 71% of Gen Z men surveyed said they used AI to prioritize tasks and organize their schedule, compared with 48% of Gen Z women. Meanwhile, 69% of Gen Z men said they use AI to check their work or to get feedback, versus 48% of Gen Z women.
With great use also comes more opportunity for wrongdoing. More men are using AI and more men are also using AI to cheat: 40% of Gen Z men said they have passed AI-generated work off as their own. Only 20% of Gen Z women said the same.
Interestingly, men also feel less secure at work. Over 40% of Gen Z men said they worried AI could take their jobs. Only 33% of Gen Z women said the same. And while 23% of Gen Z men said they couldn’t do their jobs without AI, only 14% of Gen Z women felt similarly.
“It’s clear that AI is becoming an everyday support system for many Gen Z professionals,” said Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius. “But it’s also becoming their go-to solution when they don’t know what to say or do, and how to handle tough situations. The concern is when workers start outsourcing not just tasks, but their judgment, confidence, and even their voice. If we’re not careful, we could see a generation that struggles to make decisions without AI hand-holding.”
