Key Takeaways
- The USA stands out for high concern: Forty percent of Gen Z in the USA say the dangers of AI are “very serious,” the highest level across all countries measured along with India (also 40%).
- China sits at the lowest end: Only about 13 percent of Gen Z in China share this view, placing it near the bottom of the global ranking alongside Italy, Thailand, and Japan.
- Perceptions vary widely across markets: Concern about the dangers of AI ranges from high levels in countries such as India (40%), the USA (40%), Indonesia (39%), South Africa (39%), Kenya (34%), and Australia (34%), to much lower levels across parts of Europe and Asia, where fewer than one in five express strong concern.
How do Gen Z perceptions of the dangers of AI differ across markets, particularly among leading AI powers such as the USA and China?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how younger generations think about their future as they enter the workforce amid rapid technological change. While AI is often framed as a driver of innovation and growth, public debate has shifted in some markets toward more immediate concerns about jobs, economic opportunity, and who stands to benefit. For Gen Z, these questions feel especially personal and are becoming more visible in public reactions, including recent instances where graduating students in the USA have pushed back against pro AI messaging at university events, such as the widely reported booing of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, at the University of Arizona’s graduation ceremony.
Against a backdrop of a more competitive labor market and an intensifying global race for AI leadership, GlobeScan’s latest public opinion data show that concern about the dangers of AI among Gen Z varies sharply across countries, with stark differences between the USA and China. Forty percent of American Gen Z say the dangers of AI are “very serious,” placing it at the top of the global ranking together with India (40%). Countries such as Indonesia (39%) and South Africa (39%) also show relatively high levels of concern among young people. At the other end of the spectrum, China stands out with just 13 percent of Gen Z saying AI risks are “very serious,” alongside similarly low levels in Italy (13%), Thailand and Japan (both at 12%).
Europe sits broadly in the middle to lower range, with countries such as Germany (24%), Spain (20%), France (18%), Sweden (18%), and the Netherlands (16%) showing comparatively lower levels of strong concern. Overall, the results do not point to a single global view, but rather a spectrum where perceptions of AI risks among young people differ by nearly threefold between countries.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The USA-China divide highlights a growing global gap in concern about AI, one that could shape not only public acceptance but also the pace and competitiveness of innovation on the global stage.
For companies, particularly employers, this underscores the need to engage proactively with younger generations as they navigate the impact of AI on jobs, skills, and opportunity. In higher concern markets like the USA, as well as in India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Kenya, where large Gen Z cohorts are entering the workforce, trust will depend on how responsibly AI is developed and used, and whether organizations demonstrate a clear commitment to supporting their workforce and future talent through this transition.
Sustained concern among Gen Z could also translate into a broader license to operate risk. If confidence in AI weakens, companies may face increasing scrutiny from employees, consumers, and policymakers, potentially slowing adoption and creating backlash. At the same time, lower concern in markets like China points to a more enabling environment for AI development, raising the possibility that differences in public sentiment could increasingly shape global competitive dynamics.
More broadly, this points to the core question about the social contract around AI: whether younger generations feel that technological progress is aligned with their economic interests and life prospects, or at odds with them.
Survey Question: For each of the following possible global problems, please indicate if you see it as a very serious, somewhat serious, not very serious, or not at all serious problem. – The dangers of artificial intelligence
How This Insight Was Generated: This analysis is based on a representative online survey of 31,960 people in the general public across 33 markets conducted in July and August 2025. It focuses on Gen Z respondents and draws on GlobeScan’s global public opinion research.
