Gen Z meets AI
Gen Z is diving into AI and starting to use it All at onceFrom preparing workouts and meal plans to writing job applications and using AI tutors, young people are incorporating AI into their lives.
But how does this closer bond impact the workplace? Young people are already Communication and collaboration Skills. Will relying on AI undermine their social skills?
TalentLMS’ latest research sheds light on these important questions and highlights some dark clouds looming on the horizon.
Nearly half (47%) of Gen Z professionals rely more on AI than their managers for guidance and support at work. AI can provide better guidance, they say, suggesting that it could stifle collaborative dynamics in the workplace.
“At work, I am receiving better guidance from AI.
Compared to my manager.”
This trend is backed up by other survey results: 46% of young professionals would prefer to ask work-related questions to an AI rather than a colleague or manager. This data points to an emerging pattern that could become a trend: When seeking support and guidance in the workplace, the youngest workers turn to AI over humans.
46% of Gen Z employees Prefer to ask AI for work-related questions Not your coworkers or bosses.
This shift could put collaborative dynamics in the workplace, such as mentorship, teamwork, and knowledge sharing, at risk.
Gen Z and AI are redefining workplace collaboration
Gen Z has faced major life milestones in an isolated and remote world during the pandemic years. Without in-person interactions on campuses and in the workplace, they became immersed in their screens, feeds and technology.
So when AI arrived, they embraced it. For Gen Z, AI is more than just a new tech tool; it’s a 24/7 companion that helps them navigate work and life.
But is AI changing how people relate to each other?
To gauge AI’s impact on workplace relationships, we asked Gen Z employees whether AI has caused them to interact less with coworkers. The results were slightly different: 41% said that using AI at work has not caused them to communicate less with coworkers, which is encouraging. However, 39% of Gen Z said that AI has caused them to interact less with coworkers, which is worrying.
4 in 10 Gen Z employees Less interaction with coworkers AI has made my job easier.
Young people need guidance from their peers, even though they don’t seem to want it. AI can answer questions, but it can’t coach young people, give them meaningful feedback, guide their growth, or help them adapt to new environments.
Relying on AI may be easier than navigating the complex world of human relationships. But this easy solution comes at a cost: it can deny young professionals the opportunity to learn how to communicate and collaborate well with others. Less time spent interacting with people inevitably leads to underdeveloped interpersonal skills.
For all its advantages, AI fluency cannot bridge the communication gap.
How AI will impact Gen Z skills: Enhancing the skill set
With young people relying so heavily on AI, we wanted to explore how this will impact their skills: is AI building their skillsets or taking them away?
Here’s what we found:
How to use generative AI in the workplace
Will it impact Gen Z skills?
The data emerging shows that AI is improving the skills of young professionals. The majority of Gen Z employees (66%) Use of AI in the workplace had a positive impact on skillsAt the same time, nearly two in ten (19%) say the use of AI has had a negative impact on their skills, while 15% say it has had no impact.
But what skills exactly will AI improve? Our research reveals that hard skills are the winner: 65% of Gen Z employees feel that AI has helped them improve their skills. When it comes to soft skills, 55% feel that AI has enhanced their soft or interpersonal skills.
65% of Gen Z employees find AI useful Improving hard skills.
These results highlight that AI can be a helpful ally in the professional development of the youngest workers (as it already is for the majority of workers). But a small number of young professionals report that the use of AI has had a negative impact on their skills. And they need support.
So how can employers help employees who are finding it hard to adapt to change? To address this challenge, some companies are offering new hires additional training in teamwork and communication, as well as the opportunity to participate in in-person activities. Other employers are Offers A guide on how to write emails and communicate with your boss.
Let’s look at some relevant survey data that sheds more light on this question.
Gen Z wants soft skills: a must for smooth AI integration
In our research, we explored potential solutions to the challenges created by AI, and we looked at soft skills. Can soft skills make a difference? Absolutely!
in the end, 63% of Gen Z believe that integrating AI in the workplace should be accompanied by soft skills training.And they’re right: soft skills, interpersonal skills, can be the antidote to the disconnection and isolation of the digital age.
63% of Gen Zers are worried about integrating AI into the workplace Soft skills training will also be provided.
These results speak to the mixed perceptions young professionals have about the impact of AI: While they see it facilitating their growth and development, they also see a widening communication gap.
But there’s a catch: The survey revealed that Gen Z prefers interacting with AI over humans in the workplace. All things considered, it seems that the youngest workers understand the importance of acquiring soft skills, but they’re less keen to put them into practice.
This discrepancy is also reflected in the ranking of the most influential skills for Gen Z below, with interpersonal skills found to rank at the bottom of their list.
Skills to rule in the AI era: Gen Z favors digital skills
We asked Gen Z to rank the skills that are most important in the age of AI. Here’s how they voted:
1. Digital skills (52%)
2. Hard/technical skills (46%)
3. Cognitive ability (44%)
Four. Interpersonal skills (35%)
Five. Emotional intelligence skills (31%)
Gen Z was found to have a clear preference for hard skills over people-centric competencies. Digital skills came out on top, emphasizing a strong connection to technology. In second place, digital natives chose technical skills. Their votes were clear. Gen Z values hard skills. Cognitive skills ranked in the upper middle range, behind digital skills but close to technical skills.
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But prioritizing hard or cognitive skills comes at the expense of soft skills.
Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence were ranked lowest, an area of concern given Gen Z’s poor collaboration and communication skills.
Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence Gen Z is at the bottom of the list.
AI works wonders for Gen Z employees, but it also puts a strain on their development, especially when it comes to teamwork, communication, and building workplace relationships.
After all, if you lose contact, you can’t close the social skills gap.
How AI will impact Gen Z’s learning and development in the workplace
Our survey also explored how learning and development in the workplace will evolve. We sought to understand whether AI is hindering or facilitating growth opportunities for the youngest employees. The answers were mixed.
Let’s begin.
First, the numbers clearly show that AI is accelerating workplace learning for younger workers. Here are the statistics: 62% of Gen Z employees say AI is positively impacting their learning and growth in the workplace.
AI is your
Workplace learning and development?
This is a very positive sign and is encouraging employers to incorporate AI into workplace learning for Gen Z. After all, AI is breaking new ground in employee training.
66% of Gen Z employees AI in the Workplace Has a positive effect on skills.
But what about the growth opportunities that come from the various tasks that are now being delegated to AI? To explore this, we asked whether AI has taken growth opportunities away from young professionals. Opinions were roughly split.
On the positive side, 42% said delegating tasks to AI isn’t an obstacle to growth.
But there’s a flip side. In other words, 40% of Gen Z employees say AI is hindering their growth by forcing them to do tasks they should be learning.Many young professionals feel they are missing out on learning opportunities. Focus on the double-edged sword of AI efficiency.
And then they noticed something.
the same as Smartphones weaken intelligence Any new technology that replaces the human discovery process by making the brain dependent will have the same impact: Employees, especially those with less experience, may lapse in judgment and operate on autopilot, missing out on the opportunity to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
This raises an important question: How reliant on AI are Gen Z employees actually?
“I rely on AI
The daily challenges of work.”
By analyzing the data, 38% of Gen Z employees rely on AI to complete daily tasks at work.On the positive side, 44% don’t rely on AI. Given Gen Z’s enthusiasm for AI, it’s positive that they’re not falling in love with it en masse. Still, having more than a third of Gen Z employees relying on AI is a red flag to look out for.
Moreover, the majority of people are seeing the benefits of smart technology in their daily work. 68% of Gen Z employees feel that AI is helping them with their daily workflows and tasks.
How useful is AI?
What are your daily workflows and tasks?
But that’s not all. Here are some areas where AI can help young professionals:
decision making: 59% of Gen Z employees feel AI will help improve decision-making.
Onboarding: 55% of Gen Z employees feel AI would help with onboarding at a new job.
To be hired: 50% of Gen Z employees feel that AI will be helpful when landing a new job.
Filling the gap: 50% of Gen Z employees feel that AI can help bridge communication gaps with colleagues and other departments.
Final conclusion
Gen Z and AI are set to shake up the world of work. The youngest generation dominating the workplace is drawn to technology, and as the study reveals, human interaction takes a back seat.
Interaction Between the next generation and artificial intelligence Redefining the workplace.
AI holds great promise for Gen Z. But it also poses obstacles to their professional development, especially when it comes to teamwork, communication, and building relationships at work.
The interplay between next-gen and AI will redefine the workplace. To help employers navigate this transition, we’ve identified five key gaps that emerged from our survey data.
Gen Z and AI: 5 Critical Gaps in the Next Generation Workplace
Gap 1: Technical assistance and human guidance
Gap 2: Critical thinking and AI-driven insights
Gap 3: Digital Fluency vs. Emotional Intelligence
Gap 4: Efficiency and learning and development opportunities
Gap 5: Over-reliance on AI and cognitive capabilities
AI has the potential to improve organizations that foster a strong human-centric culture, but it also has the potential to erode and cripple the skill sets of organizations that remain stuck in their traditional work-as-usual mode.
Use this data as a wake-up call.
