How Does Gen Z Feel about AI - Soul Zhang Lu’s Report Has the Answers

The only topic that is dominating the newsfeeds these days is artificial intelligence, and understandably so. The technology is embedding itself into everyday life in more ways than one. So, the CEO of Soul, Zhang Lu, wanted to know how Gen Zers, who have quickly taken to the technology, feel about artificial intelligence.

The first survey by Soul Zhang Lu’s team to study the attitudes and perceptions of Gen Z pertaining to AI was conducted in 2024. A year down the line and with a lot of new AI offerings flooding the market, the researchers wanted to know if there have been any changes to how Zoomers felt about the technology.

While AI-powered applications have undoubtedly gained an unprecedented fan following, fears about the AI’s ability to cause disruptions not only on the professional front but also on the personal front continue to prevail. For instance, some millennials and Gen Xers see AI as a barrier to human connections.

They are even concerned about AI-driven interactions replacing genuine human bonds. But, according to the report released by Soul Zhang Lu’s team, Gen Z feels differently. Zoomers see AI as a bridge for and even a facilitator of real-world relationships. Many youngsters are of the opinion that AI is not only enhancing their social interactions but is also opening doors to economic opportunities and reshaping their engagement with work, study, and emotional support.

According to Soul App’s 2025 Gen Z AI Engagement Report, young people do harbor concerns about the rapid growth and adoption of AI technology. But these are being balanced by Gen Z’s eagerness to harness its capabilities. 

The survey, which was based on 3,680 responses, revealed that from forming friendships with virtual companions to using AI tools for productivity and financial gain, Gen Z is leveraging AI in the most extraordinary ways. Actually, it would not be far-fetched to suggest that Gen Z’s use of AI is challenging technology’s traditional role in society.

Soul Zhang Lu’s survey brought out some startling facts with actual figures. For instance, nearly 40% of the survey respondents admitted to using AI-powered products not for work but for emotional companionship. What’s more, 80% of these youngsters credited AI with helping them establish real-world relationships. 

When quizzed about AI’s role in fostering new connections, the respondents said that AI’s ability to recommend responses, suggest conversation topics, and match users with shared interests has made it an invaluable tool. 

It deserves mentioning here that Soul’s engineering team has used AI for user matching since the early days of the social networking platform. Soul’s LingXi engine was designed exclusively to combine user input and user-generated content to find matches based on mutual interests.

Another striking observation made by Soul Zhang Lu’s researchers was that contrary to perception, men showed a higher tendency to seek out AI companionship than women. This defies common stereotypes about emotional reliance. That said, both young men and women explained that they opt for AI-generated interactions because these offer immediate emotional support, thus filling gaps left by traditional social structures that are becoming increasingly fragmented.

The Gen Z respondents also had no qualms about admitting that AI wasn’t just a good listener but also an extremely intuitive advisor. Explaining this further, the youngsters said that the response-related suggestions offered by the technology help users to engage in meaningful conversations, which strengthens their interpersonal connections. 

Soul Zhang Lu’s research team also wanted to understand the scope of AI beyond social interactions, specifically as it applies to Gen Z. The respondents revealed that AI has become an indispensable tool for both work and academic pursuits. As such, it came as no surprise when 95% of those surveyed said that they use AI products in their daily academic/professional routines. 

Over 50% admitted to using AI applications frequently. Around 80% of the respondents went on to explain that AI had improved their productivity by at least 50%, and nearly 33% stated that the use of AI products had doubled their efficiency.

A notable observation made in Soul Zhang Lu’s report was that AI is no longer just a tool of convenience that enhances productivity. The technology is now creating new economic opportunities. For instance, around 20% of the survey respondents acknowledged that they had successfully monetized AI capabilities.  

When surveyors asked the respondents about how money could be earned through the use of AI, the responses included everything from content creation to AI-driven business ventures to automation tools and more. While some of the people who participated in Soul Zhang Lu’s 2024 survey had also started monetizing AI opportunities, this year, the number of individuals who are using AI as an income-generation tool has increased significantly.

Of course, worries about how the rapid adoption of AI will change business and employment landscapes continue to haunt. For example, college students were found to be particularly pensive about AI-linked job market disruptions. This is understandable given the rapid pace of AI development.

Fortunately, youngsters have figured out a way to manage AI-related anxiety. Around 30% of the youngsters who responded to the survey stated that they were using proactive learning to shield themselves from AI-linked disruptions.

In a nutshell, the overall attitude towards AI technology is quite positive and while Soul Zhang Lu’s report did highlight certain concerns that youngsters had about the rise of the technology, they choose to be optimistic about the whole thing and focus on what they can gain by using AI to fulfil their personal and professional requirements.