A total of 74.1% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents say artificial intelligence (AI) has influenced decisions in their lives. This finding comes from an IDN Times survey of 183 respondents conducted January–April 2026.
That figure shows AI has shifted from being merely an information-search tool. For some young people, AI now helps shape the considerations behind the choices they make.
Indonesia is no longer a country just getting acquainted with AI. The 2025 APJII survey of 8,700 respondents across 38 provinces recorded that 43.7% of AI users in Indonesia are Gen Z, the highest adoption rate among all generations.
The same pattern appears among university students. A Chegg survey of students in 15 countries (October 2024) placed Indonesia at the top: 95% of its students already use AI in their learning process.
This high usage rate has been accompanied by a shift in how AI is used. AI is no longer used only to complete tasks, but also to ask for input on decisions.
The most common answer isn't about technological sophistication. When someone discusses career choices, relationship conflicts, or other major decisions with friends or family, there's always a social factor involved: feeling awkward, worrying about being judged, or the limited perspective of the person they're talking to. AI doesn't carry those barriers.
The Snapcart "In AI, We Trust" survey (April 2025) of 3,611 Indonesian respondents recorded that 43% already use AI routinely. Among those who use it to share feelings and personal dilemmas, 58% have begun considering AI as an alternative reference point, including for matters they previously only discussed with people close to them.
The Kaspersky survey (November 2025) of 3,000 respondents across 15 countries recorded that 31% of Indonesian respondents chose to interact with AI when facing difficult emotional conditions, slightly above the global average of 29%. Among Gen Z and Millennials, that figure rises to 35%.
AI offers a space that's always available and can be asked to reconsider something repeatedly without anyone taking offense. That's hard to find in everyday human interaction.
The habit of discussing things with AI is growing fastest in the workplace. The Microsoft Work Trend Index 2025 found that 48% of employees in Indonesia prefer relying on AI over coworkers, especially for needs that demand speed and can be repeated anytime. As many as 66% of workers now consider AI a discussion partner, not just a tool.
The PwC Global Workforce Hopes and Fears 2025 survey of 812 Indonesian respondents recorded that 69% of workers have used AI for work in the past year, higher than the global average of 54%. Among daily users, 96% felt a significant increase in productivity.
When someone gets used to discussing work matters with AI, the line between professional and personal consultation starts to blur. AI used to draft a presentation strategy can turn into a place to weigh whether to accept a job offer at another company.
AI's presence adds a new source of input beyond family, friends, or coworkers. Old sources haven't disappeared, but the range of places to turn to for advice has grown.
AI asked for its input doesn't always give an objective answer. A 2025 Stanford University study analyzing 11 leading AI models found that half of them tend to be sycophantic (always affirming and agreeing with the user), even when the choice could be harmful. AI more often validates what the user already believed to begin with.
University of Indonesia social psychology researcher Wawan Kurniawan believes this tendency can trigger cognitive bias. When AI is designed to follow user requests, its responses can reinforce certain beliefs and end up working against the user themselves.
This risk meets a level of readiness that isn't yet adequate. Indonesia's AI literacy score, according to APJII 2025, still stands at 49.96, categorized as poor. Many people already use AI but don't yet fully understand how it works.
AI is now a new touchpoint in young consumers' decision journeys. With 74.1% of respondents saying AI influences their decisions and 66% of workers considering AI a discussion partner, recommendations that emerge through AI can help shape choices of products, brands, and services before consumers ever reach a brand's official channels.
For brands targeting Gen Z and Millennials, this means product information needs to be accurate, well-structured, and easy for AI to cite, not just visually appealing to humans. Snapcart recorded that 43% of users already use AI routinely and 58% consider it an alternative reference. Brand visibility within AI-generated answers is becoming just as important as visibility on search engines.
High AI adoption is meeting low readiness. Indonesia's AI literacy score still stands at 49.96 (poor category), while 74.1% of young people say their decisions are influenced by AI. This gap between usage and understanding is a space that policy needs to fill, particularly through strengthening AI literacy and critical thinking skills in formal education.
Special attention is needed for emotional contexts. Kaspersky recorded that 31% of Indonesian respondents choose AI when facing difficult situations, rising to 35% among Gen Z and Millennials. At the same time, Stanford research shows that half of AI models tend to affirm users even when their choices are risky. This combination places the protection of young users, transparency about how AI works, and guidelines for use in sensitive areas as a relevant agenda for policymakers.
When 74.1% of respondents say AI influences their decisions, the question is no longer whether young people use AI. The question is how they evaluate the advice given by this technology.
AI may not replace parents, close friends, or mentors. But it has already filled a gap that was previously empty: a space to think without social pressure and weigh choices without fear of being judged.
Amid still-low AI literacy scores, critical thinking ability becomes increasingly important. The challenge is simple but significant: how to evaluate advice from a machine that almost always agrees with us.
Sources:
Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. (2025). Profil internet Indonesia 2025. APJII. https://survei.apjii.or.id/survei/register/48?type=free
Chegg. (2025). Global student survey 2025. Chegg. https://www.chegg.org/global-student-survey-2025/
Cheng, M., et al. (2025). Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence (arXiv:2510.01395) [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2510.01395
IDN Times. (2026). Survei Gen Z dan Milenial Indonesia, Januari–April 2026 https://www.idntimes.com/life/inspiration/infografis-ai-jadi-tempat-curhat-tren-baru-gen-z-milenial-00-98756-m6kdmt
Kaspersky. (2025). Emotional AI survey 2025 [Market research]. Kaspersky. https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases
Microsoft. (2025). Work trend index 2025: The year the frontier firm is born. Microsoft WorkLab. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/2025-the-year-the-frontier-firm-is-born
PwC. (2025). Global workforce hopes and fears survey 2025. PwC. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/workforce/hopes-and-fears.html
Snapcart. (2025). In AI, we trust: Part 1. Snapcart. https://snapcart.global/in-ai-we-trust-part-1/
Snapcart. (2025). In AI, we trust: Part 2. Snapcart. https://snapcart.global/in-ai-we-trust-part-2/