
Gen AI + Gen Z: Shaping the Future of Work
1. Introduction
“Tech-savvy meets transformative technology.”
Gen AI and Gen Z – the most chaotic yet innovative and groundbreaking combination. From being restricted from taking phones to the workspace to being able to work in your own space with just a phone, we have come a long way.
When talking about AI, Gen Z, having grown up with digital tools, can utilize it and creatively invent solutions to both the problems that existed and the problems that we don’t know existed. This is the generation that has revolutionized our technology and its applications. The technology from the past few decades has now been transformed with the help of Gen AI. Today’s technology is capable enough to give an answer to any question from any domain, create images with a single sentence description, analyze millions of photos in an hour, code, write, upload, manage, etc. This advancement is steadily becoming the meaning of “You name it, we do it.”
This intersection of Gen AI and Gen Z is not just a trend but the future of work, society, and innovation. While previous generations saw AI as just a possibility, Gen Z is actively engaging, creating, and reshaping industries with these tools. However, in the workspace, people are still skeptical about the use of AI. The future of work is transforming from traditional roles and responsibilities to adaptability and leveraging AI with the human workforce. While some argue that the usage of Gen AI has led to enhanced productivity, innovation, technological advancements, and the creation of jobs, others argue that it contributes to diminishing social skills, the displacement of jobs, and the inability of people and their increasing dependence on AI for everyday tasks.
And now, a question remains: will Gen Z lead us to a world of endless possibilities, or are we heading towards a future where technology overpowers the human workforce?
2. The Gen Z Influence
Gen Z is dubbed the “digital first generation.” According to a study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, 66% of Gen Z uses more than one internet-connected device at a time, and 74% spend their free time online. Gen Z’s focus on personalization, remote work, and flexible schedules has become a key driving force in the advancement of Gen AI. Gen Z is proactive; their relationship with technology is not just consumption but redefining it.
According to McKinsey Quarterly, Gen Z may account for 27% of the global workforce by 2025. With 42% of Gen Z using Gen AI at work, according to a study by Deloitte Insights, the entry of Gen Z in the workforce has greatly compelled organizations to adapt to advancing technologies and integrate Gen AI tools to improve efficiency and foster creativity. This change creates new opportunities and urges organizations to upskill their workforce and redefine their approach to innovation. In fact, around 51% of Gen Z employees report receiving training on Gen AI. This shows how organizations are adapting to the transformation to an AI-driven workplace.
3. Gen Z – Lay Z (Lazy)?
The discussion of Gen Z becoming lazy by using Gen AI for their tasks, or using it to automate tasks and focus on other things, is increasingly gaining traction. The convenience of AI-driven applications is leading Gen Z to rely on AI for tasks like writing, researching, and problem-solving, which are considered essential for professional growth. This “easy way out” has sparked concerns about the diminishing critical and cognitive capabilities of Gen Z, further fueled by Microsoft research indicating that Gen Z’s attention span is about 8 seconds, the shortest among all generations.
On the other hand, some agree with the fact that, by using Gen AI to automate mundane tasks, Gen Z can spend more time on learning other skills, refining their work, or trying side hustles. A Kantar research survey shows that 40% of Gen Z employees have side hustles, backing up Gen Z’s stance on using Gen AI to drive productivity and progress. Ultimately, whether Gen Z uses these tools in becoming lazy or more efficient depends on their usage of Gen AI.
4. The Future of Work: Key Impacts
When it comes to the future of work, Gen AI is progressively reshaping the workforce by automating the roles traditionally performed by humans while also simultaneously creating a demand for new skill sets. According to a World Economic Forum report, 85 million jobs may be displaced globally due to Gen AI, and 97 million new job roles will emerge by 2025.
The roles that involve repetitive, routine tasks and the positions that are susceptible to automation are actively being taken over by Gen AI. Some of the most vulnerable positions include:
Creative Writing: Gen AI tools such as ChatGPT, Jasper, and Writer can replace writers, especially for tasks requiring minimal originality or nuance.
- Legal Jobs According to a Goldman Sachs report, Gen AI could perform 44% of the legal assistants’ tasks. With GPT-4 passing the Uniform Bar Examination in the 90th percentile, there is a strong chance of replacement in the future.
- Graphic Designers With image generation tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, etc., the task of creating professional designs without expertise is made easy.
- Research Analysts Gen AI tools’ expertise at analyzing, detecting, and organizing the findings into insightful visuals makes these tools ideal for the position.
- Data Entry Clerks and Customer Service Chatbots and AI-powered systems’ ability to process large amounts of data quickly and provide personalized, faster responses to customers reduces the need for human workers for these positions.
While the displacement of jobs is concerning, Gen AI also gives rise to new job roles such as:
- AI Trainers: Involves fine-tuning AI systems for specific use cases.
- AI Ethicist Centers around the ways AI is used, its legal, moral, and social implications, and creating guidelines for the usage of these tools.
- Prompt Engineers To ensure the most successful results, the key is the input given to Gen AI tools. This involves crafting compelling prompts to guide AI models towards successful results.
- Collaboration Specialists With increasing AI integration, there is a need for facilitating and managing a seamless collaboration between humans and Gen AI tools, giving rise to this position.
- Entrepreneurs and Gig Economy The strategic utilization of Gen AI tools enables freelancers and employees with side hustles to reduce operational costs, enhance efficiency, and simplify workflows.
With the future of work actively being reshaped, organizations should prepare themselves to navigate this transformation correctly in order to create opportunities that outweigh the disruptions introduced.
5. Challenges and Ethical Concerns
As Gen AI continues to transform industries, it also raises some challenges and ethical concerns to be addressed. The increasing replacement by Gen AI might heighten unemployment, leading to societal turmoil. A McKinsey report states that Gen AI could contribute up to $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030. While this helps in technological advancements and the improvement of the economy, it could also widen the existing economic imbalance, as nations with better infrastructure and resources can surpass other nations in growth and innovation.
Another challenge is the privacy and security of data that is often used to train Gen AI tools. The misuse, breaches, and unauthorized access of personal or sensitive data of the employees or an organization pose threats such as financial fraud, exploitation of documents, and other unethical activities.
Responsibility and accountability are other important concerns. The inaccurate or incorrect outputs of these tools can lead to severe consequences, from financial loss to legal blame. This uncertain structure of responsibilities makes the question of accountability complex. Other challenges and concerns include bias and discrimination, lack of transparency, compliance with regulations, and the lack of emotions in decision-making processes. It is crucial to address and navigate these challenges.
6. A(i) to Z – A Vision and Conclusion
With Gen AI, we are moving from a world of ‘what if’ to ‘what’s next.’As we move forward, it is important to take a tactical approach to navigate and solve the arising challenges. As Gen AI’s “super users,” Gen Z should not only be proficient users of these tools but also offer insightful solutions to make an impact. Some potential steps include effective collaborations between nations in developing ethical AI policies and guidelines. Transparency and responsibility must be clearly defined and prioritized to successfully mitigate bias, fairness, and accountability issues. Continuous upskilling should also be emphasized in order to create a balanced and efficient workforce.
Gen AI has the power to accelerate the progress of the workforce exponentially, and when combined with the “digital natives,” the possibilities are limitless. Gen Z has the potential to innovate and elevate human potential to new heights with these Gen AI tools. In the future, Gen Z should be able to lead in not only using these Gen AI tools but also in shaping their skills and workplace, ensuring positive and right usage. The future of work requires careful guidance and ethics. With the right approach and leadership, it will be a powerful transformation.