Gen Z’s scholarly attitudes, behaviour and AI: what’s new and spot the difference? An international comparison

Our latest series of 'Harbingers' interviews were conducted in March 2026; six months after data collection, too soon for full in-depth analysis, but soon enough for some initial impressions to be overtaken. This is an update to first impressions; have we, in the face of visible advances in the adoption of AI, reason to think again. So, too, with our recalibration to see Early Career Researchers as 'Gen-Z' rather than 'Millennials'. These are the opinions of those who conducted the long, conversational interviews, first hand impressions now in retrospect but before memory is overlaid. First impressions also from data analysis that is still a work-in-progress. Partial, incomplete, subject to sampling bias, this is how in looks in September 2026 but provides a useful heads-up. More details about the project can be found in Nicholas et al. (2026a,b)