Amid the frenzy that AI will result in mass job losses, there’s one role Gen Zers are secretly hoping the bots will replace: their boss. And 69% are already being polite to ChatGPT just in case.
A 2025 study from essay writing service EduBirdie highlights that one in 10 Gen Z workers are pining for a robot boss.
While wishing for the demise of a manager is nothing new, what’s eye-opening is the reasons why they think the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini would make for a better manager. For one, they ironically think it’d be more human.
Most of the Gen Zers said that AI will be a nicer, fairer, and more neutral boss.
While some think a virtual manager would be a lot smarter than the current human one they have, others predict they’d be able to manipulate AI management easily.
Worryingly, some respondents reported that an AI boss “won’t hit on me” and would be “less scary.”
And whether or not workers are actually destined to report into robots any time soon, 70% of the 2,000 young Americans surveyed are already hedging their bets—one ‘please’ at a time.
What does this mean for managers?
Despite Gen Z’s wishes, managers are more likely to be replaced by peers who use AI, as opposed to AI itself. A separate 2025 survey highlighted the vast majority of bosses predict they’ll lose their jobs within a year if they don’t master AI skills.
But they may be more at risk of losing bright young talent if they don’t start managing like humans.
“Gen Z’s desire to replace their human boss with AI is a red flag for their managers,” Avery Morgan, chief human resources officer at EduBirdie tells Fortune. “This points to burned-out, disengaged leaders failing to meet basic human needs.”
Rather than being wowed by AI’s capability or how a virtual boss could bring about more flexibility to workplaces, Morgan stresses that workers wanting this bosses to be replaced signals “they’re dealing with unfairness, confusion, and toxicity at work.” All of which are on the rise with return to office mandates.
But there’s good news: Brushing up on soft skills may be a double whammy solution to avoid getting replaced by AI and losing Gen Z staff.
“I don’t believe AI can replace professional managers who bring emotional intelligence, empathy, ethical judgment, and creative problem-solving to the table,” Morgan says. “The irony is that the aspects of management that make us most distinctly human are precisely what’s missing when employees prefer machines.”
Gen Z: Get support or leave
Morgan’s advice for managers is to create environment where employees feel safe enough to give you feedback—like, that they wish you were a robot—to your face, or at the very least, through anonymous surveys.
“You don’t need to be everyone’s best friend, but you do need to be approachable, transparent, consistent, and ethical,” she says. “Respect personal boundaries, keep conversations professional, and be fair in your decisions. If you make a mistake, own it and apologize.”
For Gen Z, stuck under a toxic or unprofessional manager, Morgan suggests going to HR or a senior leader.
“If your work anxiety is tied to one person and something feels off, it probably is,” she says, adding to factually document any bad behaviour, such as instances of when they’ve crossed personal boundaries.
“Write down dates and details, save emails, messages, or anything else that supports your case,” Morgan adds. “Toxicity often hides behind fake smiles and ‘we’re like family’ claims, but don’t let that keep you stuck.
“If there’s no support in place, leave. No title, salary, or opportunity is worth your mental health.”
A version of this story originally published on Fortune.com on May 14, 2025
Read more on AI’s impact on work from Fortune’s Orianna Rosa Royle:
- Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real ones for ‘maximum control, zero rejection’—experts say it could make them unemployable
- 10 a.m. could be your new start time, thanks to AI. Billionaire Mark Cuban says companies will cut the workday by an hour—and you’ll still get paid the same
- Workers are using AI to sneak out for spin classes and skip lunch meetings—and new research shows they’re clawing back 30 minutes a day
- AI won’t steal your job—but it might cut your paycheck, Europe’s central bank says
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