2025 Gen Z and AI in the Workplace Report

Table of Contents

For many Gen Z workers, AI tools were already in place when they started their careers.

At many companies, everyday work now involves some form of AI support, like writing emails and keeping on top of meetings. But what exactly are young professionals using AI to do? And what happens when they’re told to stop?

To find out, Resume Genius surveyed 1,000 full-time Gen Z employees across the U.S. by asking how AI affects their productivity, mindset, and behavior at work, and whether a ban would change anything.

Below are the findings from our Gen Z and AI in the Workplace Report:

Key Takeaways

18% of Gen Z workers say they’d need to quit their jobs if AI were banned.
28% of Gen Z workers have passed off AI-generated work as their own, and 41% of those who did said they’d do it again.
23% of Gen Z workers say using AI at work has negatively affected their mental health.
60% of Gen Z workers say AI helps them work faster and with less effort.
39% of Gen Z workers automate tasks behind their manager’s back.
57% of Gen Z workers run their work by AI before showing it to a manager.
56% of Gen Z workers use AI to figure out how to talk to their boss or coworkers.

AI is boosting Gen Z’s productivity (and their stress levels)

Our findings revealed that Gen Z workers generally view AI in a positive light. However, the same AI tools that make their jobs easier are also creating new pressure, fatigue, and uncertainty. Here’s what we discovered:

60% of Gen Z workers say AI makes their job easier

The majority of Gen Z professionals we surveyed say AI is helping them streamline tasks, citing benefits like increased productivity and accuracy in their work. Some even credit AI with giving their career a boost.

60% say AI helps them get their work done faster and with less effort.
56% say it improves the accuracy and quality of their work.
54% say it frees them up to focus on creative or strategic tasks.
42% say AI has opened up new career opportunities for them.

1 in 4 Gen Z workers say AI is hurting their mental health

Interestingly, not all Gen Z workers are thriving with AI on the job. The same tools boosting productivity are also stirring up new worries among Gen Z workers.

49% are concerned that AI could lead to unfair or biased decisions that affect them at work.
40% say AI is forcing them to learn new skills just to keep up with their work.
39% feel burned out by how often AI tools are updated.
38% say they need to use AI just to manage their workload.
37% say AI makes them feel replaceable.
23% say using AI at work has negatively affected their mental health.

AI gives Gen Z men a performance boost and a reality check

We took a closer look at how Gen Z men and women are navigating AI in the workplace, and the results show a clear gender divide. Male Gen Z workers tend to be more enthusiastic about AI’s potential. They’re more likely to say it helps them work faster, improves the accuracy of their output, and allows them to focus on creative or strategic tasks.

But that excitement comes with a trade-off. A number of men reported a growing dependence on AI and a rising fear of being replaced by it.

70% of men say AI helps them work faster (vs. 53% of women).
69% of men say AI improves the accuracy and quality of their work (vs. 47% of women).
65% of men say AI allows more focus on creative and strategic tasks (vs. 47% of women).
57% of men say it’s opened career opportunities for them (vs. 31% of women).
50% of men say they need AI to keep up with their workload (vs. 30% of women).
47% of men say AI is forcing them to learn new skills to keep up with their workload (vs. 35% of women).
42% of men say they feel replaceable due to AI (vs. 33% of women).

Meanwhile, Gen Z women are more likely to report emotional fatigue from the rise of AI. While men tend to focus on productivity and opportunity, many young female professionals are feeling the mental strain of keeping up with ever-changing tools.

48% of women say they’re concerned that AI will lead to unfair biases in workplace decisions (vs. 50% of men).
41% of women say frequent AI updates are burning them out (vs. 35% of men).
22% say AI has negatively affected their mental health (vs. 26% of men).

Gen Z is using AI to work smarter and sneakier

We asked Gen Z workers about their AI use and saw just how deeply it’s woven into their routines. The data shows they’re not only experimenting with AI but legitimately relying on it to get through the workday:

3 in 4 Gen Z workers use AI to boost creativity and output

While most Gen Z professionals are turning to AI for legitimate productivity boosts like brainstorming and writing, a surprising number are also using it to cut corners or break the rules.

Here are the most common ways Gen Z uses AI at work:

74% use AI for brainstorming or generating creative ideas.
68% use it for writing or editing reports and emails.
62% turn to it for creating digital content or designing presentations.
61% use it to analyze large datasets for insights.
61% automate repetitive administrative tasks.
57% use it for competitive research or business intel.
56% use it to manage meetings and scheduling.

1 in 3 Gen Z workers use AI behind their manager’s back

It all sounds productive until you look at what else they’re doing. While the above trends suggest Gen Z is using AI to work smarter, about 1 in 10 workers are also using it in ways that fall into murkier territory:

39% have used AI to automate tasks without their manager’s knowledge.
- 14% say they do this often or always.
31% have used AI in ways that may violate company policies, such as sharing internal data.
- 11% say they do this often or always.
30% have generated fake work just to appear more productive.
- 11% say they do this often or always.

Gen Z men use AI more often and more aggressively than women

When we broke down the data by gender, the differences were interesting.

Gen Z men are more likely than women to use AI for every purpose we asked about and to push the limits of acceptable use.

Here’s how men and women compare on using AI for everyday AI tasks:

85% of men use AI to brainstorm or generate creative ideas (vs. 67% of women).
77% of men use AI to analyze large datasets (vs. 50% of women).
74% of men use AI to write or edit reports and emails (vs. 63% of women).
74% of men use AI to create digital content or design presentations (vs. 53% of women).
74% of men use AI to automate repetitive admin tasks (vs. 51% of women).
73% of men use AI for competitive research or business intel (vs. 46% of women).
69% of men use AI to manage meetings and scheduling (vs. 47% of women).

Should we be trusting Gen Z men? When it comes to rule-breaking, men admit to using AI for unethical tasks at much higher rates than women:

52% of men have used AI to automate tasks without their manager’s knowledge (vs. 30% of women).
- 21% of men do this often or always (vs. 10% of women).
42% of men have used AI in ways that may violate company policies, such as sharing internal data (vs. 23% of women).
- 15% of men do this often or always (vs. 8% of women).
39% of men have used AI to generate fake work to appear more productive (vs. 23% of women).
- 15% of men do this often or always (vs. 8% of women).

Gen Z is keeping quiet about their AI-generated work

AI tools make it easy to whip up polished writing, sleek slides, or even full-on data analysis, but what happens when someone hands in that content without saying how it was made? It can be tricky to know where smart usage ends and plagiarism begins.

3 in 10 Gen Z have passed off AI work as their own

Is it dishonest if the output’s good and the boss never asked?

According to our survey, 28% of Gen Z workers have passed off AI work as their own without telling anyone. Of those who did:

43% say their work was well received.
41% say they’d do it again.
26% say they felt guilty about it.
13% say their work was poorly received.
9% say they were caught.

Gen Z men admit to AI plagiarism more than women

When we analyzed the responses by gender, Gen Z men reported being more likely than women to say they’d submitted AI-generated work without disclosing it and more open to doing it again in the future.

In total, 40% of Gen Z men have submitted AI-generated work without telling anyone, compared to 20% of women.

Of those who presented AI-generated work as their own:

44% of men say they’d do it again (vs. 37% of women).
24% of men say they felt guilty about it (vs. 28% of women).

Gen Z uses AI to avoid awkward conversations

We asked Gen Z workers how often they use ChatGPT or other AI tools instead of asking a manager, coworker, or HR for advice. The responses show that AI is filling a communication gap, with many workers preferring to get input from AI rather than talk to someone at work.

57% of Gen Z workers run their work by AI before their boss

Gen Z isn’t just using AI to stay organized — they’re leaning on it for approval, too.

While task planning is the most common use, getting feedback on work before a manager sees it is a close second. For many, AI has become the first reviewer.

58% of Gen Z workers use AI to prioritize tasks and organize their schedule.
57% use AI to review or improve work before handing it to their manager.
- 22% do this often or always.

Over half of Gen Z relies on AI for workplace communication

When it comes to tricky workplace interactions, it looks like Gen Z would rather ask AI than a coworker.

Whether it’s phrasing something just right or figuring out what someone really meant, these young professionals reported that AI is their workplace translator and therapist.

56% use AI for advice on how to communicate with managers or coworkers.
- 19% do this often or always.
55% use AI to clarify the tone or meaning behind workplace communication.
- 23% do this often or always.
51% use AI to navigate workplace conflicts or difficult conversations.
- 16% do this often or always.

Gen Z is outsourcing career questions to AI

Apparently, AI is also a career coach. From promotion prep to understanding policies, AI is increasingly being used to guide big-picture decisions at work.

56% use AI to write CVs and cover letters when applying for jobs.
53% use AI to help with career decisions, such as salary negotiation or getting a promotion.
50% use AI to better understand company policies or workplace rules.

Gen Z men are turning to AI instead of people

When we analyzed the data by gender, Gen Z men reported using AI more than women in every category. They’re especially likely to rely on AI for communication, feedback, and career decisions — areas where many workers might normally talk to a manager or coworker.

For task planning and manager feedback:

71% of men use AI to prioritize tasks and organize their schedule (vs. 48% of women).
69% of men use AI to get feedback on work before sharing it with a manager (vs. 48% of women).

For workplace communication:

67% of men use AI for advice on how to communicate with managers or coworkers (vs. 49% of women).
64% of men use AI to interpret the tone or meaning of messages (vs. 48% of women).
61% of men use AI to navigate workplace conflicts or difficult conversations (vs. 45% of women).

For career and policy decisions:

65% of men use AI to write CVs and cover letters (vs. 50% of women).
64% use AI to help with career decisions like negotiating salary or asking for promotions (vs. 45% of women).
62% of men use AI to understand company policies or workplace rules (vs. 41% of women).

Gen Z has mixed feelings about banning AI at work

According to our survey, Gen Z workers are divided on the idea of banning AI tools at work. Just over half (52%) say they’d support a ban and prefer to work without AI, while 48% say they wouldn’t support it — suggesting that many have grown dependent on these tools to get their work done.

1 in 5 of Gen Z workers say they couldn’t do their jobs without AI

Interestingly, nearly 1 in 5 Gen Z workers (18%) say they’d no longer be able to complete their tasks and would have to change roles if AI were banned at work. Others say a ban would slow them down, reduce efficiency, or lead them to use AI in secret.

Here’s the full breakdown of how Gen Z employees would respond to a workplace AI ban:

53% say it would have no effect because they don’t use AI.
51% say they’d still use AI after hours or on personal devices.
39% say they’d need to find alternative ways to complete tasks.
34% say it would make them less efficient and slow them down.
33% say they’d continue using AI at work on company devices, despite the ban.
18% say they’d have to switch jobs entirely if there were a workplace ban.

Gen Z men are more reliant on AI and less willing to give it up

When asked how they’d respond to an AI ban at work, men and women had different reactions.

Most Gen Z women (57%) say they’d support a workplace ban on AI tools. But Gen Z men aren’t on the same page, with only 46% of them saying they’d support a ban.

Instead, many men say they’d work around it or simply wouldn’t be able to do their jobs.

62% of men say they’d still use AI after hours or on a personal device (vs. 43% of women).
44% of men say they’d continue to use AI at work, even if it were banned (vs. 25% of women).
44% of men say their productivity would drop without AI (vs. 27% of women).
23% of men say they’d be unable to complete tasks and would have to switch jobs (vs. 14% of women).

Based on these results, men appear to have integrated AI more deeply into their daily workflow than women and may struggle more if it were taken away.

Conclusion

According to our survey, Gen Z workers aren’t just using AI for admin tasks. They rely on it to write, plan, make decisions, and communicate at work. For many, it’s an essential tool for staying productive and organized, but it also creates new challenges, including ethical concerns and pressure to keep up.

As AI becomes more embedded in daily work, employers will need to set clear guidelines and support healthy, responsible use. Understanding how Gen Z uses AI can help companies build smarter, more adaptable workplaces.

Methodology

The Gen Z and AI in the Workplace Report came from a Pollfish survey launched between April 24 and May 10, 2025, targeting a sample of 1,000 participants. The analysis was conducted from May 14 to 22, 2025. The study aimed to understand full-time U.S.-based Gen Z workers’ attitudes and opinions toward AI use in the workplace, particularly as it pertains to how often they’re using AI and what for, to what degree AI is affecting their career, and whether an employee ban would affect them or not.

Qualifying respondents were required to be born between 1997 and 2012. The survey ensured a balanced representation across various demographics, including gender and age groups, to accurately reflect the diversity of U.S. workers.

The data was analyzed using both the results provided by Pollfish and the outputted raw data in Google Sheets via programs created with Python Pandas.

To minimize bias, Pollfish uses Random Device Engagement (RDE) to ensure a fair and organic selection process. For further details on Pollfish’s methodology, please visit their website or contact eduardo@resumegenius.com.

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Eva Chan

Senior PR Expert & Certified Professional Resume Writer

Eva Chan is a Senior PR Expert and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at Resume Genius. Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Eva oversees research and data-led campaigns that reveal key trends in today’s workforce and represents the company in media interviews and press features. Eva graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in Critical Studies in Sexuality. Eva's career advice has been recognized by leading media outlets including Harvard Business Review, CNBC, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, Newsweek, and Entrepreneur. For any media-related queries, connect with her on LinkedIn or reach her at [eva] @ [resumegenius.com]. Please note that we don’t accept any guest posts.

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