Preply survey: 57% of Gen Z struggle to apply AI learning

The Preply survey arrives as younger workers increasingly turn to AI agents to answer learning-moment questions at work, rather than asking a manager or colleague. That shift changes where practice happens. A chatbot can explain an unfamiliar concept or walk through a spreadsheet formula, and it can rehearse interview answers over and over. But when it is time to execute, the survey suggests something is lost: a new hire who copies an Excel formula for sales growth might get the right answer without understanding why it works, and still be unable to explain or adjust it when the boss asks.

The survey of more than 5,000 professionals in nine countries found Gen Z respondents were both the most likely to use AI for learning and the most likely to say they struggled to apply what they learned or were told by the chatbot in real life. Nearly three-quarters of Gen Z respondents (71%) said they felt busy learning without improving, compared with 56% of Gen X. The findings do not explain why younger workers struggled more, or whether AI played a role, and respondents were asked about applying what they learned across different methods, not just AI.

Preply's Josh Crossick describes learning as acquiring knowledge, practicing, and building confidence over time, and says practicing with a person feels riskier than practicing with a machine — which is the point. For employers, the question is whether the AI tools they are paying for are producing skills workers can actually use, and what human coaching needs to sit alongside them.