The first generation to grow up with the Internet wants everyone to just hold their horses. Gen Zers, acutely aware of how quickly the latest technological innovations can grow out of control, feel some anxiety when it comes to artificial intelligence.
A staggering 62% of them believe that artificial intelligence could replace their jobs within the next decade, according to recent surveys of 1,180 working adults in the US and 393 executives in the UK by General Assembly, a technology education provider.
It turns out that while the younger and more vulnerable generations are shaking in their boots, most CEOs don’t bat an eye. Just 6% of managers and VP-level executives believe artificial intelligence is a threat to their jobs, according to survey results.
Gen Z AI anxiety meets CEO serenity
Junior workers are likely to feel more threatened by executives because they have less leverage and no seat at the table, including layoffs and how AI affects their companies in general. Over the past year many CEOs have proven more than willing to use AI as a scapegoat for downsizing. From May of last year to February of this year, more than 4,600 U.S. job cuts were made in the name of artificial intelligence, according to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, though the outplacement firm’s senior vice president tells Bloomberg that this is “definitely understated. “
Gen Zers may also be more anxious given how early in their careers they are. The generally remedial nature of many lower-level jobs makes this generation more vulnerable to change, according to Lupe Colangelo, director of alumni engagement and employer partnerships at General Assembly.
“Artificial intelligence is capable of performing many of the repetitive, low-level tasks that were typically handled by entry-level workers,” he wrote in a statement to Luck. “It’s understandable that the younger generations are concerned about this. Seasoned executives and managers, on the other hand, bring years of experience and context to the table that AI can’t quite replicate — at least not yet.”
Billionaire Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang echoed the same. When asked at Nvidia’s October AI Summit if he thought artificial intelligence could replace his job, he said “absolutely not.” Suggesting that AI can do 20% to 50% of a person’s job, he suggested that “the person who uses AI to automate that 20% will take over your job.”
Explaining that Gen Zers bring “a unique perspective to the workplace that shouldn’t be underestimated,” Colangelo added that employers complain about this generation’s lack of soft skills related to communication and time management. These soft skills are becoming even more important as artificial intelligence automates more independent work, he added.
Younger generations tend to be more concerned about the potential for AI to step on them. Half of millennials believe there is at least some chance that artificial intelligence will replace their role, compared to 44% of Gen Xers and just 24% of baby boomers, according to data sent to Luck.
Even if boomers don’t worry about themselves, they have a responsibility to help the future, Colangelo believes. “With AI taking over more entry-level work, employers have a greater responsibility to train the next generation,” he said. “Companies have to offer them a way to get through the door.”
“Employers simply cannot turn away from an entire generation,” he added, arguing that they must help build the skills they desire in the current talent pool.