Survey Finds Young Adults Worry AI Makes Them Lazier

A Gallup and Walton Family Foundation survey of U.S. adults ages 18 to 28 measured chatbot use and concerns about the technology.

Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a face-down analog wristwatch on a rumpled wool blanket beside a coiled charging cable, suggesting unease about effortless habits. — Nearly four in five U.S. adults ages 18 to 28 worry that artificial intelligence makes people lazier, even as 74% said they used an AI chatbot in the past month, a Gallup and Walton Family Foundation survey found. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think AI chatbots are making people lazier?

In an October 2025 survey of nearly 2,500 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18 to 28, 74% said they had used an AI chatbot at least once in the previous month. Nearly four in five respondents worried that artificial intelligence makes people lazier.

Why it matters

The findings show heavy adoption of AI chatbots among young adults alongside widespread concern about their effects on thinking and work habits. They give a snapshot of how this generation is weighing the technology's benefits against its risks.

The survey, conducted by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation in October 2025, reports that 52% of respondents used a chatbot to help with work and one in six used AI for work after being told not to. Whether these concerns translate into measurable changes in ability or effort is not addressed by the data.

The players

Gallup

Gallup is a global analytics and advisory company known for public opinion polling and workplace research.

Walton Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded by the family behind Walmart that funds education and youth initiatives.

The details

Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation surveyed nearly 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 to 28 about their recent AI chatbot use and their concerns about the technology. Respondents reported widespread worry that AI makes people less smart and lazier, even as most had already used these tools.

October 2025: Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation conduct the survey of U.S. adults ages 18 to 28.

Big Picture

The survey extends Gallup's long-running polling of American attitudes toward technology by focusing on adults ages 18 to 28 and on AI chatbots specifically. It adds a generational lens to public debate over whether AI tools help or weaken everyday thinking and work.

Many young adults are already relying on AI chatbots for schoolwork and jobs, so the survey's concerns about effort and skill apply to daily habits. Readers who use these tools may want to weigh how much they lean on them for tasks they want to keep sharp.

The takeaway

Nearly four in five young adults worry AI makes people lazier, a reminder to use chatbots deliberately rather than as a default for every task. Keeping hands-on practice in key skills can help offset those concerns.