1 in 3 Gen Z Over-Reliant on AI: 4 Career-Killing Mistakes to Avoid
Gen Z have mixed feelings about AI: they fear it, yet use it for everything. New research from EduBirdie reveals that 1 in 10 view AI as a bigger threat than war or climate change. It’s no surprise, especially after a disturbing chat transcript where Google’s Gemini threatened a student, coupled with growing concerns over AI policies under Trump.
However, 1 in 3 Gen Z-ers admit they rely too much on AI, raising serious concerns about its long-term impact on their careers.
Avery Morgan, productivity expert and Chief Communications Officer at EduBirdie, shared her guide on the top AI mistakes to avoid with YCB —so you can make tech work for your productivity and performance, not against you:
1. Don’t sabotage your growth
Using AI for tasks that are crucial to your learning or development might seem like a productivity hack, but it also can be a trap. Take the example of a student using Gemini to get responses for homework. Rather than asking for help with understanding the task or getting explanations on difficult topics, the student handed over the whole test to the AI. While chatbot can certainly help with organizing thoughts, relying on it to complete entire tasks can lead to lazy thinking and missed learning opportunities.
2. Don’t let AI kill your creativity
AI is great for organizing information, but it’s a mistake to think it can generate truly creative ideas. Keep in mind that it can only produce responses based on the data it’s been trained on. Creativity is a core human trait. Relying on ChatGPT for your creative projects can lead to work that feels stale and unoriginal. And it’s not just about boosting performance; it’s about finding personal satisfaction. Creating something unique allows you to express yourself, solve problems in new ways, and experience a sense of accomplishment that AI simply can’t provide. Use it to refine ideas, evaluate them, or combine concepts, but the heart of creativity should always come from you.
3. Stop treating AI like a human
AI’s ability to imitate human behavior can easily lead to it being mistaken for a real person. Younger generations, in particular, might form a stronger emotional connection to chatbots, thinking they can provide the same empathy and understanding as humans. With TikTok videos under #aifriend showing how Gen Z bonds with AI, and 64% of people saying they’d trust a robot more than their manager, it’s clear that AI is being seen less as a machine and more as a companion. But remember, it is still just a tool. It can help with facts and structure, but it can’t understand emotions or handle complex human situations the way a real person can.
4. Quit overusing AI
A recent study shows that 1 in 3 Gen Z members report being too reliant on ChatGPT. They use it literally for everything—writing letters, creating CVs, generating ideas, conducting research, and even for financial advice. While it’s tempting, trying to solve every problem with ChatGPT will make it irreplaceable and slow you down. Set limits on how and when you use AI. Reserve it for specific tasks like research, summarizing information, or getting a quick outline, but you don’t need it to write every letter that needs to be “more professional.”