Gen Z fears AI will steal their jobs

The study, conducted by educational organization General Assembly, surveyed nearly 1,200 working adults in the US and nearly 400 CEOs in the UK. The survey results showed that 62% of young workers are worried about AI threatening their jobs, while the figure for managers is only 6%.

The experts say that low-level employees, especially Gen Z, are worried about being replaced because they have little power in the company. They often have no say in layoff decisions and how AI affects the business. In fact, many CEOs have used AI to cut staff.

A report by the workforce reduction consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that from May 2023 to February 2024, more than 4,600 jobs in the US will be cut due to AI replacement.

Another reason Gen Z is worried about being replaced by AI is because they are in the early stages of their careers.

Lupe Colangelo, a director at General Assembly, said AI could take over low-skilled jobs that are currently performed by entry-level workers. This is understandable for millennials to worry about, while executives and managers have experience and skills that AI will have a hard time replacing.

At Nvidia's AI Summit in October, billionaire Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, a leading AI technology company, asserted that artificial intelligence cannot take his job.

He believes that AI can support 20-50% of a person's work but cannot completely replace it if that employee has experience and is always acquiring new knowledge.

Gen Z has a unique perspective on the workplace that cannot be overlooked, says General Assembly CEO, but employers have complained about this group of employees lacking soft skills in communication and time management.

These skills are becoming more and more important as AI automates more and more independent jobs.

In addition to Gen Z, other generations are also concerned about the development of AI. Aggregate data ofFortuneshows that 50% of Gen Y employees believe AI has the potential to replace their roles compared to 44% of Gen X and 24% of Baby Boomers.

Even if the Baby Boomers don't worry about themselves, they also have a responsibility to help future generations.

Experts believe employers have a greater responsibility to train the next generation of workers as AI takes over more entry-level jobs. And companies themselves need to make it easier for young employees to enter the job market.

“Instead of leaving a generation behind, employers should help Gen Z build the skills they need in today’s workforce,” said the General Assembly director.