Written by Nick Wood
Generation Z is using generative AI more than any other age group, despite being more wary than most about its potential pitfalls.
A study by Ofcom has found that 79% of teenage Internet users aged 13-17 use gen AI tools and services, compared to 31% of adults. Of those adults who have never used AI, 24% have no idea what it is.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been hogging the headlines, so it’s no surprise to learn from Ofcom that it’s the most popular gen AI among the sample group.
Younger Internet users prefer to get their ChatGPT fix via Snapchat My AI. Ofcom says 51% of 7-17 year-olds use the ‘digital sidekick’, which is more or less just ChatGPT dressed up in Snapchat colours. ‘Oldies’ are more inclined to go directly to the source, with 23% of Internet users aged 16 and above professing their use of ChatGPT.
As for what all these people are using it for, the most popular answer is fun, which if nothing else is a damning indictment on what passes for fun in the 21st Century. Nonetheless, 58% of respondents enjoy just interacting with AI, compared to 33% who use it for work, and 25% who use it to help with studying.
“Getting rapidly up to speed with new technology comes as second nature to Gen Z, and generative AI is no exception,” said Yih-Choung Teh, group director of strategy and research at Ofcom. “While children and teens are driving its early adoption, we’re also seeing older Internet users exploring its capabilities, both for work and for leisure.
