Speaking to Tapestry Leaders about Gen Z, AI, and the Emerging AI-Powered Consumer
Gen Z consumers are changing entire markets. And fast. AI is only accelerating the speed of that change, which is why I was thrilled to keynote Tapestry’s Future Now AI Summit in New York City and share our latest research discoveries. The event was especially meaningful for me, because I’ve worked with Tapestry for many years and love the engagement, enthusiasm, and consumer passion they bring to everything they do!
The summit featured a variety of fantastic speakers, many innovation breakthroughs, and a lot of new ideas from across Tapestry’s storied organization. The combination of practical, academic, creative, and research-driven made for a wonderful event rich in substance and deeply focused on people and outcomes.
What got me most fired up
The highlight for me was sharing our brand-new research into how Gen Z thinks about and engages with AI. This includes how Gen Z uses AI to inform their views of the world, shape their behaviors, and influence everything from shopping to how they approach money.
As a behavioral researcher, I care deeply about why people do the things they do (or don’t do certain things!) and how they engage with the world around them. Exploring the intersection of AI and Gen Z is particularly exciting because they are rapidly emerging together, creating a unique relationship different from what we’re seeing with AI and other generations such as Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
Gen Z has higher usage of AI than other generations yet also has differing views on AI that significantly impact how and why they use it. Sharing our discoveries was incredibly exciting because it leads to so many “aha” moments for leaders!
A Gen Z story from my own kitchen table
As part of my work, I love sharing personal stories from my family, client adventures, and travels. For Tapestry, I shared many stories about AI and our own household, especially how my fifteen-year-old daughter has a completely different relationship with AI and it impacts everything from where she goes for information to refereeing debates.
Seeing how Gen Z uses AI every day is a powerful reminder that this trend is not a forecast, but increasingly the norm for a generation that thinks web browsing is “old school.”
Honored to be back with Tapestry
I was honored to be back with the Tapestry team for another amazing event. They always inspire me with their great culture, leadership, vision, and collaboration.
I learned a ton, and I loved sharing our Gen Z research and AI discoveries with stakeholders and leaders across the organization. I can’t wait to come back for our next collaboration!
Jason Dorsey is a Gen Z researcher and keynote speaker, and President of The Center for Generational Kinetics, where he has led more than 200 research studies. To bring this research to your event, visit speaking.
Posted: August 19th, 2026
Categories: AI | Gen Z | Generations | Keynote Speaking | Trends
Written by Jason Dorsey
Jason Dorsey is an acclaimed generations and behavioral researcher and speaker. He's received over 1,000 standing ovations for his unique keynote presentations. Jason has led over 200 research studies. Adweek calls him a "research guru." His mission is to deliver new insights and practical strategies that solve business challenges for leaders.
