Half of Generation Z in the Asia-Pacific region use artificial intelligence (AI) every day, and 1 in 3 treat AI like a friend, it was found.
Global cybersecurity corporations Kaspersky announced on the 3rd the results of a survey on AI use among Generation Z in the Asia-Pacific region containing these findings.
According to the survey, 50% of Gen Z respondents in the Asia-Pacific said they use AI every day or almost every day. This was the highest share among those surveyed. The main purposes were information search (57%), learning (54%), and idea generation (50%).
A total of 32% also said they use AI like a friend. By country, Indonesia was highest at 39%, followed by Vietnam (35%), Thailand (34%), Malaysia (33%), and India (32%). Some 34% said they consult AI about personal problems that are hard to confide to others. Vietnam was highest at 42%, and India (37%) and Indonesia (36%) also showed relatively high shares.
However, security awareness was found lacking compared with active AI use. While 45% said they always take security measures when using AI services, 51%—more than half—said they only pay attention occasionally.
Kaspersky noted that AI can generate inaccurate or inappropriate answers and that users may expose personal or sensitive information during conversations. It advised cross-checking information in sensitive areas such as education, finance, law, and healthcare with other reliable sources, and not entering passwords, payment information, identification documents, or health information into AI services.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky offers the Kaspersky Premium security solution, which blocks phishing sites impersonating AI platforms, malicious websites, and fake AI tools. At Kaspersky Academy, it also runs a "cyber hygiene" training course covering how to protect accounts, devices, and personal information. For Generation Z, it introduced Case 404, an online game in the style of a cyber detective. It is designed so that users solve virtual cases inspired by real digital threats and learn fraud, phishing, and financial crime techniques.
Vladislav Tushkanov, group manager at the Kaspersky AI Technology Research Center, said, "The fact that some young users have begun to use AI like a friend shows that the relationship between people and technology is changing rapidly," and added, "We should not mistake conversations with AI as private or fully trustworthy; information verification, personal data protection, and critical thinking must go hand in hand."
Adrian Hia, Kaspersky's Asia-Pacific general manager, said, "The fact that 1 in 3 Gen Zers in the Asia-Pacific see AI as a friend shows that AI has taken root as more than a simple tool," and added, "As relationships with AI expand into the personal realm, it is important to set clear standards for what to trust and share."