There have long been concerns about Generation Z and their attitudes towards work. However, according to LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Gen Z is “attractive” to employers for one key reason—they are “Generation AI.”
“You are generation AI. You are AI native. So, bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive,” Hoffman said.
Why It Matters
Gen Z has quickly developed somewhat of a negative reputation in the workforce. A poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek last year found that 40 percent of U.S. adults said their Gen Z colleagues to be difficult to work with, and recent research found that Gen Z are likely to stretch the truth in job interviews.
And the generation’s entry into the workforce has come in tandem with the so-called “AI revolution.” According to a recent study from KPMG, 66 percent of people regular use artificial intelligence (AI), and 83 percent believe AI will result in benefits.
What To Know
It’s no secret that Gen Z grew up on technology, with smartphones often having been integrated into their life from an early age. As a result, they’re more tech-savvy than other generations.
Hoffman highlighted this in his LinkedIn post, writing “You were born into this shift. You’re native to these tools in a way that older generations aren’t. Lean into it. Teach others.”
Newsweek spoke to Dr. Fabian Stephany, an assistant professor for AI and Work at the University of Oxford, about how AI impacts job prospects for Gen Z. He shared with Newsweek some of the findings from his own research team, the Skill Scale Project.
Stephany told Newsweek, citing research published in ScienceDirect, that “across all age groups, workers who can integrate generative AI into day-to-day tasks enjoy 23 percent higher wages on average, and they’re roughly twice as likely to be offered perks such as paid parental leave.”
Dr. Keith Arundale of the Henley Business School in the United Kingdom told Newsweek via email that “AI is going to be ubiquitous.”
“Venture capitalists love it because it is disruptive—it is disrupting all sorts of sectors: healthcare, education, legal etc. and it has the ability to see massive growth and get the huge returns that VC want,” Arundale said.
And he has noticed it among his students, telling Newsweek they are “using AI very effectively in their assignments, to research and explore ideas,” though he noted that they do not use it to write their essays for them.
He said that in his school, they see AI as “essential training,” for the future career of young people. “AI will stand them in very good stead,” he said.
However, this tech is not without its issues.
Stephany told Newsweek that according to his team’s data, Gen Z are the “heaviest chatbot users.”
“Our 2024 UK data show 30 percent of Gen Z (under 30) use a chatbot at least weekly versus 15 percent of the overall workforce,” however, the skill set among these users varies wildly, with only 45 percent scoring highly on AI literacy, according to Stephany and the team’s data.
And according to Keri Mesropov, founder of Spring Talent Development, the AI story is not simple.
“AI is only as powerful as the questions it is asked. And the durable human skills needed to reveal its true value including critical thinking, emotional intelligence, communication and nuanced problem-solving, are precisely the area in which many young professionals are still developing,” she told Newsweek via email.
Mesropov also noted that training matters.
“Gen Zers who receive AI training and soft skill development will absolutely have a competitive edge.”
However, “we can’t leave them to figure it out alone,” Mesropov said. “Digital native” doesn’t automatically mean “AI fluent.”
What People Are Saying
Dr. Keith Arundale of the Henley Business School in the United Kingdom told Newsweek via email: “Whilst they may be at an advantage with their AI skills more so than previous generations they will still need the practical, world-wise experience to flush out any AI inconsistencies and errors that older workers will posses.”
What Happens Next?
So, what’s next for Gen Z and AI?
“Gen Z grads who blend domain savvy with AI fluency will carve out roles that didn’t exist five years ago—prompt engineer, model auditor, workflow orchestrator. The bar is rising, but so are the opportunities for those who invest in deeper competence,” Stephany told Newsweek.
He added: “Comfort without mastery can backfire. Gen Z’s early exposure is an advantage, but it isn’t a golden ticket.”
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