Generation Z is navigating a complex relationship with artificial intelligence as the first cohort to enter the workforce with AI tools readily available. According to new research from the Oliver Wyman Forum, 68% of young professionals express anxiety about AI automation, yet 58% use AI tools at least three to four times weekly. The comprehensive study, based on survey responses from 300,000 consumers and workers over five years, including 45,000 adult Gen Z members, reveals that nearly half of Gen Zers report AI has already changed the caliber or type of work expected from them.
Gen Z workers are adopting AI at significantly higher rates than older generations. Compared to baby boomers, Gen Zers are 1.7 times more likely to participate in AI training and 2.3 times more likely to report productivity increases from using AI at work. This enthusiasm comes amid concerning predictions from industry leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where CEOs from Google DeepMind and Anthropic acknowledged that AI is beginning to minimize the need for some junior roles at their companies.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei maintained his stark prediction from May 2024 that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. Economist Marc Sumerlin warned in November that companies may pause hiring young workers while awaiting AI benefits, potentially leading to fewer opportunities for recent graduates. The unemployment rate for recent college graduates remained elevated at 5.3% in the third quarter, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
However, not all corporate leaders share this pessimistic outlook. Figma CEO Dylan Field argued that AI skills provide young professionals with a hiring advantage and won’t eliminate entry-level positions. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman similarly encouraged young people to leverage their AI familiarity as a selling point when job hunting.
Real-world examples demonstrate AI’s career acceleration potential. Lindsay Grippo, 28, an editor at digital marketing agency Codeword, credits AI with helping her develop strategic thinking skills by treating AI output as work from a junior creative. Her manager, Kyle Monson, noted that the agency hasn’t altered hiring plans due to AI and views AI fluency as an advantage that allows junior talent to skip grunt work like data entry and tackle higher-value assignments requiring judgment calls—work that accelerates career advancement.
Key Quotes
I’m assessing how well it meets a project’s goals, similar to how my manager might review my work. It is training me to think like a more senior-level creative.
Lindsay Grippo, a 28-year-old editor at Codeword, explains how using AI tools is accelerating her professional development by forcing her to evaluate work strategically rather than execute routine tasks, effectively fast-tracking her to senior-level thinking.
That’s when your career really starts to take off.
Kyle Monson, a founding partner at Codeword, describes how AI enables junior talent to skip grunt work like data entry and immediately tackle higher-value assignments requiring judgment calls, which he identifies as the critical work that accelerates career advancement.
AI could erase half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reiterated this stark prediction at the World Economic Forum in Davos, maintaining his May 2024 warning and highlighting the existential threat AI poses to traditional career entry points for young professionals.
Our Take
This research captures the fundamental paradox facing Gen Z workers: they must master the very technology that threatens their job security. The 68% anxiety rate isn’t irrational fear—it’s a realistic response to explicit warnings from AI company CEOs about eliminating entry-level roles. What’s remarkable is the 58% adoption rate despite this anxiety, demonstrating pragmatic recognition that AI skills are now mandatory for career survival.
The generational divide is telling. Older workers can afford complacency because they’ve already climbed career ladders that may no longer exist. Gen Z has no such luxury. The Grippo example illustrates AI’s double-edged nature: it accelerates development but also raises questions about whether organizations will maintain junior positions if AI can handle routine work. The real challenge isn’t AI adoption—it’s ensuring enough meaningful entry-level opportunities remain for young workers to gain experience, even as AI compresses traditional career pathways. This tension will define workforce dynamics for the next decade.
Why This Matters
This research highlights a pivotal moment in workforce evolution as AI fundamentally reshapes entry-level employment and career trajectories. The generational divide in AI adoption and anxiety reveals how younger workers must simultaneously embrace and fear the technology that could define their careers. The 68% anxiety rate among Gen Z workers signals legitimate concerns about job security, validated by predictions from leading AI company executives about eliminating half of entry-level positions within five years.
Yet the story also reveals AI’s potential as a career accelerator rather than just a job destroyer. By automating routine tasks, AI enables junior employees to engage in strategic, high-value work earlier in their careers, potentially compressing the traditional career advancement timeline. This creates a critical skills gap where AI proficiency becomes essential for young workers’ competitiveness. The divergent perspectives from tech leaders—from Anthropic’s warnings to Figma’s optimism—underscore the uncertainty surrounding AI’s ultimate impact on employment. Organizations and educational institutions must urgently address this transition, helping Gen Z workers develop AI skills while preparing for a job market where traditional entry-level pathways may no longer exist.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-gen-z-job-killer-or-opportunity-2026-1