Why many American college kids don’t want AI
Students at universities like the University of South Carolina and the University of Indianapolis are protesting AI adoption, citing concerns over job displacement, misinformation, and threats to critical thinking, despite institutional partnerships with companies like OpenAI. Anti-AI sentiment has grown into organized movements, including the Luddite Club, as Gen Z students reject forced integration of AI tools into education and employment demands.
A $1.5 million partnership between the University of South Carolina and OpenAI, announced in summer 2025, aims to enhance research and learning through AI tools like ChatGPT. However, students like Brooklyn Tyner, 20, oppose the deal, arguing it prioritizes corporate interests over student well-being, with concerns ranging from environmental harm to job loss and academic integrity. During the university’s first ‘AI Day,’ Tyner’s survey of peers found a nine-to-one rejection of the partnership, reflecting broader skepticism among students who feel disconnected from decision-making processes. OpenAI and Anthropic are targeting college campuses to secure future users, offering deals with schools and funding student-led AI clubs. Employers are increasingly requiring AI proficiency, pressuring institutions to integrate AI into curricula. University of South Carolina spokesman Jeff Stensland defended the shift, stating that ignoring AI would harm students’ employability, as nearly every industry now demands AI literacy. The push for AI adoption has sparked backlash, including protests like the one organized by University of Indianapolis junior Cassidy Rexroad, 21, who called AI a threat to critical thinking. Demonstrations remain smaller than those over Gaza or climate change but signal growing resistance among Gen Z. Rexroad argued that manual effort and human connections hold intrinsic value, contrasting with AI’s perceived devaluation of education. The Luddite Club, originally formed during COVID-19 lockdowns to discourage smartphone use, has expanded to over 30 U.S. chapters, now opposing AI as another profit-driven technological imposition. Organizer Jasper Dabbs, 21, of Columbia University’s chapter, framed AI as a catalyst for student activism, aligning with historical labor movements that resisted machinery displacing jobs. The club’s growth reflects a broader generational pushback against AI’s rapid integration into academia and the workforce.
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