Gen Z & AI in the Heartland

From ChatGPT to Snapchat's AI chatbot and DeepSeek, students embrace AI while harboring real concerns about what it means for their future.

I spent most of last week in Arkansas, where I sat down with groups of high school and college students to explore a striking contradiction: despite using AI tools daily, many young adults are ambivalent about the technology's role in their future.

My trip coincided with the Heartland Summit and the release of new data from Gallup, Heartland Forward, and the Walton Family Foundation showing that Gen Zers in the Heartland don’t all feel prepared to use AI after graduation.

The survey reflects the POV of Gen Zers in 20 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

According to Gallup: “About one-third of Gen Z adult workers living in America’s Heartland feel at least somewhat prepared to integrate artificial intelligence into their current jobs. Meanwhile, four in 10 Gen Z 5th- to 12th-grade students in the Heartland feel prepared to use AI in their future jobs.”

Meanwhile, of all Gen Z K-12 students, 53% say their school does not have a clear AI policy in place, with discrepancies across metro and non metro counties.

Data from Gallup, Heartland Forward, Walton Family Foundation.

Data from Gallup, Heartland Forward, Walton Family Foundation.

This survey data is part of an on-going ‘Voices of Gen Z’ study with Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. Longtime readers of The Up and Up may be familiar with this partnership, which, in part, shed light on Gen Z’s rightward shift last spring. As you may know, thanks to the support of the Walton Family Foundation, I’ve had the opportunity to conduct a series of listening sessions with young people across the country since I started The Up and Up in 2022. Gallup, Heartland Forward, and the Walton Family Foundation’s quantitative data provides another vantage point into the psyche of young Americans. More on my most recent listening sessions, below.

Along those lines…

Last week I held listening sessions with four groups of students in Arkansas. First, on Monday, a virtual listening session with students at University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. Pine Bluff is located in the Arkansas Delta and UA Pine Bluff is a historically Black university. On Wednesday, I met in-person with a group of young women at University of Arkansas Fayetteville, considered the ‘flagship’ of the UA system. And on Thursday, I visited Ignite Bentonville, a professional studies program part of the Bentonville public school system, where I sat down with two groups of 11th and 12th grade students.

Nearly all of the students I spoke with in Arkansas told me they use AI all the time, with some saying they use it multiple times a day. But this isn't the uncomplicated tech adoption we might expect. These students simultaneously embrace AI while harboring real concerns about what it means for their future.

From ChatGPT to Snapchat’s AI chatbot and DeepSeek, the students described a range of experiences with the technology in academic settings. Across the board, there seems to be little guidance in place to standardize its use for schoolwork. High school and college students alike described last year as a turning point — when generative AI tools, especially ChatGPT, began to be widely used by students, and in some cases, even by their teachers.

But, again, young people’s experiences are not monolithic, and like any trend within Gen Z, there are notable outliers. Some described fear or reservation with the tools because of the gray area in how and when it should be used. Others said it’s easier to just do their work themselves, as they always have.

Overall, students are worried about the cost of AI, particularly the potential loss of human connection. Many of the students shared concern with their already very online habits and said those could become even more stark with the prevalence of AI, especially when it’s introduced at such a young age.

Key takeaway: The students I met revealed a striking pattern: They use AI constantly but feel conflicted about it. Unlike how young people typically embrace new technology, many of these students use AI out of necessity and social pressure, while just a few (and mostly young men) express genuine enthusiasm or understanding of how to use the nascent technology. What's most interesting is that they know they're living through a pivotal moment in history — they remember life before AI, while their younger siblings won't. This gives them a unique perspective to see both what's gained and what might be lost.

When asked how AI makes them feel, students expressed a range of emotions:

• Optimistic

• Mixed feelings

• I love it

• Great

• Curious (x3)

• Empowered and scared

• Smart

• Opportunistic and worried

• Conflicted and inspired

• Productive

• Dogmatic

• Sky is the limit, butterflies in stomach

• Hopeful

• Unsure (of consequences)

• Innovative

• Resourceful

• Conflicted

How Students Are Navigating AI: Ethics, Pressure, and Uncertainty

Keslea, 22 and from Dumas, Arkansas, said that when it comes to writing essays, “it's easier just to be authentic and do it myself,” than to use AI. But as an English education major at University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, she has asked ChatGPT to make PowerPoint presentations using information she’s learned in class, and the chatbot has helped her brainstorm icebreakers for students.

Kim, 22 and from Tulsa, Oklahoma, raised concerns with the ethics of AI, including its physical toll on the environment. The graduating senior at University of Arkansas Fayetteville said she learned about ChatGPT’s water usage in an ethics of journalism class. “I learned that it hurts the climate. It’s like the more words we use, or something, the more water is used at the power plant… After that, I felt guilty, but I learned how to use it in a more efficient way.”

Sanjana, 18 and a senior at Ignite Bentonville, shared a similar pause. “We don’t know the impacts of the tools we use. It takes a lot of strain on the earth, with huge data centers, a ton of water, and resources to fuel the usage of these tools.”

Asked if the environmental concerns would ever stop her from using it as often, Kim said: “I hate to say no.”

Some students described the stress that comes from using it, or even not using it, when there aren’t clear guidelines for how and if it can be used – even outside the classroom. Others feel they’re at a disadvantage when their classmates use AI regularly for schoolwork or professional work, like a job interview, while they abstain. A few even said they feel embarrassed or ashamed about using the newly introduced tool altogether.

Key takeaway: These students are stuck in a tough spot that perfectly captures how Gen Z feels about the new technology. They know AI has problems but keep using it, in part, because everyone else is. They're not necessarily blindly embracing AI, they do see its massive potential, but they’re using chat bots out of a mix of necessity, guilt, and reluctant acceptance. Without clear guidelines from schools or society, they're left to figure out the ethics on their own.

From Encouraged to Off-Limits: The Uneven Landscape of AI Use in Schools

Across high school and college campuses, the landscape of how and when students can use ChatGPT is muddled. In these listening sessions (and other conversations with young people about AI) students described no clear playbook outlining rules for how generative AI should be used for their schoolwork.

According to Riley, who’s 21 and from Little Rock, Arkansas, at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the rules aren’t “very clear.”

“I don’t know what punishment there would be if it was detected,” Riley said. “I don’t know anyone who’s not using it.”

Parker, who’s 20 and from Dallas, Texas, said she noticed a big shift in acceptance of ChatGPT on campus this year. “Previously it was like, ‘Do not use this here,’” the University of Arkansas Fayetteville student told me.

At UA Pine Bluff, students said there is a policy in place around using AI, but described different methods professors take to regulate its use. Kelsea said one professor requires her students to plug their papers into a “plagiarism check.”

“That's how they kind of keep up with if you're actually doing your work yourself, and if you're actually being authentic or not,” she said.

“They’re not saying don’t use it, but be authentic in your work,” said Cinia, who’s 23 and from Chicago, Illinois. She’s studying elementary education at UA Pine Bluff.

At Ignite Bentonville, students noted a clear difference in how AI is used in their professional studies program compared to their traditional high school classes. At Ignite, tools like ChatGPT are encouraged, while at Bentonville High School and Bentonville West High School, some classes have strict no-AI policies. However, these rules vary depending on the teacher, which can lead to inconsistencies — even among students taking the same course.

“As far as consistency, it really just depends on the teacher. But as AI is more commonly used, more teachers are starting to let kids use it in class,” said Nicholas, who’s 18 and a graduating senior at Bentonville High School/Ignite.

Chloe, 16 and a junior at Ignite Bentonville, said she can tell when her teachers use the tool themselves, but that there seems to be a “fear of change” from a lot of her teachers who don’t.

“A lot of the teachers who are not comfortable with us using AI, it’s because they're not comfortable using AI. They don’t understand the capabilities, and they don’t understand that they can tell whether or not we’re using it,” Chloe said.

Key takeaway: The rules around AI in education are inconsistent. One classroom encourages it while another down the hall bans it. This patchwork of policies comes from a simple truth: teachers are just as confused about AI as students are. The result? Depending on who they have as teachers, young adults receive wildly different preparation for an AI-powered future. Some students are building valuable AI skills, learning how to prompt and best practices for engaging with chatbots, while others are completely cut off from learning about them. Young adults are clear on one thing though: teachers need training on AI before they can guide their students effectively.

Digital Natives, Yes. AI Experts, Not Quite Yet.

Most students say they’ve learned to use ChatGPT on their own, either by experimenting with it or by watching ‘how-to’ videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

“I think we all just learned ourselves,” said Megan, who’s 21 and from Edwardsville, Illinois. A graduating senior at University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Megan said she’s noticed that depending on how it’s prompted, it can give totally different answers.

At Ignite Bentonville, Sanjana, who’s 18, said: “It comes naturally.”

Because there’s no consistent guidance on when and how generative AI can be used, students report very different experiences and comfort levels with tools like ChatGPT. These gaps could widen over time, especially since some students are actively teaching themselves, while others are avoiding the technology altogether.

And yet, teachers and parents are looking to students as pioneers who must understand how and when to use AI – often blaming them when they use it incorrectly or without strict permission.

Trey, 18 and a graduating senior at Ignite Bentonville, said there’s a lot of stigma about ChatGPT and its use in the classroom. “Most of the time when people think about high school students using ChatGPT or AI, they're expecting, ‘You know they’re just cheating on tests, having it write essays,’ which in some cases can be true. But I think the biggest problem is that kids need to be taught how to use AI before they just get thrown in the deep end,” he said.

“I feel like there’s a lot of eyes on us. When anything new is introduced to the world, just like we see in history, youth make the pathway for the future, and I just hope what we’re doing right now is not destructive,” said Ava, who’s 17 and a student at Ignite Bentonville.

Harry, 18 and a graduating senior at Ignite Bentonville, welcomes the opportunity that comes with AI, and said he already started his own AI consulting company.

“I tell everyone, all my friends, ‘If you really want to make money in 20’s, Baby Boomers, they made all that money with the Internet. That’s kind of AI right now... For me, personally, I don’t feel pressure. I love it. I want to make money,” Harry said.

Key takeaway: Students are learning how to use AI through trial and error, and many young people feel the weight of being test subjects for a technology that will shape society. This pressure has created two distinct groups: the entrepreneurs rushing to capitalize on AI and the skeptics worried about its effects on human thinking.

AI’s Double Edge: Student Fears and Hopes

I asked all the students I spoke with last week their biggest fear and biggest hope with AI. Here’s some of what they shared:

“My biggest fear with AI is that we’re just going to be relying on this, not mentally thinking about things,” said Cinia at UA Pine Bluff. “My hope for it is, I don’t mind it because technology advances all the time.” But, she said: “If we rely on it too much we’ll be running around like little dummies.”

Lauren, 23 and an education major at UA Pine Bluff, said that while she uses ChatGPT to organize her feelings, she can’t rely on it. “AI gives us an overanalyzed view of things, and that’s just not how the human body is set up, how the human brain is set up.” Lauren worries about eliminating the “natural way of thinking.”

“There was a time when this wasn’t a thing and we were operating just fine,” she said.

“My biggest fear is incompetence, that people are just going to be so reliant, that they become incompetent and not able to live without it,” said Parker at University of Arkansas Fayetteville.

“I still feel guilty using it,” said Kim at University of Arkansas Fayetteville. “Because of the climate thing that I learned about, and then also just with the essays that I write, having it polish it up for me.”

Key Takeaway: Students aren't worried about robots taking over — they're concerned about something more subtle: that AI might change how we think and connect. They worry about becoming "little dummies" who can't process information naturally, losing the ability to analyze while depending on chatbots to organize our thoughts. This isn't a simple fear of technology; it's a sophisticated concern about protecting human cognition. Because young adults remember life both before and after AI, they notice changes that future generations might not recognize. Despite their deep concerns, they continue using AI every day — showing a complicated relationship with a technology they neither fully accept nor reject.

Noteworthy reads

• Where Can Younger Buyers Afford Homes?, Julia Echikson for The New York Times

• 81% of Gen Z report wishing it was easier to disconnect from digital devices, PR Newswire

• We told young people that degrees were their ticket to a better life. It’s become a great betrayal, Gaby Hinsliff for The Gaurdian

• Gen Z at Work: How We're Actually Changing Corporate Culture, Nitya Ayyagari for Teen Vogue

And, a new book!

Amanda Litman

’s new book ‘When We’re In Charge,’ is out today. Billed as “the next generation’s guide to leadership,” Litman (who founded Run For Something to encourage young progressives to run for office), delivers young people a guide for how to trail blaze in 2025 — and beyond. I can’t wait to read it. Stay tuned for more…