A global survey reveals that Gen Z users view artificial intelligence as a friend rather than merely a tool, with over a quarter treating it as a source of emotional support. However, experts warn that many young users are neglecting basic security practices despite high daily engagement with the technology.
A comprehensive study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky involving 7,200 respondents worldwide has documented a significant shift in how Generation Z interacts with artificial intelligence. Rather than viewing AI purely as a productivity tool, more than one quarter of young users now treat the technology as a companion that provides emotional support and personal counsel.
The research highlights the depth of this relationship, with 28% of Gen Z respondents reporting that they seek AI guidance on personal matters they would not comfortably discuss with peers or family members. Nearly half of surveyed Gen Z users—47%—engage with AI systems on a daily or regular basis, the highest frequency among all age groups studied. Their usage spans multiple purposes, including information retrieval (56%), academic work (49%), creative ideation (47%), and professional tasks (39%).
Despite their comfort with and frequent reliance on AI, the survey uncovered a troubling gap between engagement levels and security awareness. Only 42% of Gen Z AI users consistently implement protective measures such as verifying information against reliable sources and refraining from sharing sensitive data. The remaining respondents either apply such precautions sporadically (52%) or not at all (6%). Kaspersky experts caution that the increasingly personal nature of AI interactions should not be mistaken for privacy or accuracy guarantees. Vladislav Tushkanov, group manager at Kaspersky's AI Technology Research Center, emphasized that data shared with AI systems should be treated as non-confidential by default, as these tools can generate inaccurate information and potentially expose personal details.
