Generation Beta, the newest demographic cohort born between 2025 and 2039, has been officially named by Australian research firm McCrindle, the same organization credited with coining the term “Gen Alpha.” According to Mark McCrindle, the firm’s founder, this generation will be defined by the third digital revolution: artificial intelligence.
The naming convention follows the Greek alphabet system introduced with Gen Alpha, moving sequentially from Alpha to Beta, Gamma, Delta, and beyond. While the name “Beta” sparked some social media criticism due to its colloquial use as a pejorative term, McCrindle defends the choice by emphasizing its technological connotations. “In a software or technology sense, beta is the new and improved version. It’s the updated version. It’s the 2.0,” he explained, suggesting the name represents progress and evolution rather than weakness.
Gen Beta’s parents will primarily be younger millennials and older Gen Z members, and remarkably, many of these children will live to see the year 2100. This generation will experience a fundamentally different technological landscape than their predecessors. While Millennials and Gen Z witnessed the rise of the internet, and Gen Alpha grew up with smartphones, Gen Beta will come of age in an era where AI and automation are fully embedded in everyday life—from education and workplaces to healthcare and entertainment.
The McCrindle report emphasizes that Gen Beta will attend schools where teachers are informed through AI, making artificial intelligence an omnipresent force in their development. However, there’s a crucial difference: their Gen Z parents, having experienced the negative impacts of social media firsthand, will likely approach technology with more caution and deliberation. “The parents will bring more of a constraint to its use rather than just a bright-eyed optimism,” McCrindle noted, suggesting a more balanced approach to technology integration.
This generational shift represents a significant change in how society approaches technological adoption. Parents of Gen Beta are expected to be more intentional about their children’s screen time, emphasizing outdoor activities and human connection even as AI becomes increasingly seamless. Despite the technological transformation, McCrindle remains optimistic about humanity’s future, emphasizing that “timeless human drivers of connection, relationship, hope, understanding, and trust” will remain constant regardless of technological advances.
Key Quotes
If we even think about the general use of beta, in a software or technology sense — it’s the new and improved version. It’s the updated version. It’s the 2.0. And that’s what I think of beta as, and I think that’s perfectly appropriate.
Mark McCrindle, founder of McCrindle research firm, defends the Gen Beta naming convention against social media criticism, reframing ‘beta’ as a positive technological term representing progress and improvement rather than weakness.
While Generation Alpha has experienced the rise of smart technology and artificial intelligence, Generation Beta will live in an era where AI and automation are fully embedded in everyday life — from education and workplaces to healthcare and entertainment.
From the McCrindle research report, this quote distinguishes Gen Beta from previous generations by emphasizing that AI won’t just be emerging technology for them—it will be the foundational infrastructure of their entire lived experience.
The parents will bring more of a constraint to its use rather than just a bright-eyed optimism. That’s a big change.
McCrindle highlights a crucial generational shift where Gen Z parents, having experienced social media’s negative impacts firsthand, will approach AI technology with more caution and intentionality than previous generations showed toward new technologies.
Technology comes and goes, but the timeless human drivers of connection, relationship, hope, understanding, and trust — all of that is timeless. We sort of forget that amidst all of the novelty and the invention and the change, there are timeless human needs and there are things that do not change amidst the changes.
McCrindle offers a humanistic perspective on the AI-dominated future, emphasizing that despite technological transformation, fundamental human needs and values will remain constant, providing reassurance about humanity’s resilience in the face of rapid change.
Our Take
The Gen Beta designation represents more than demographic labeling—it’s a recognition that we’re entering uncharted territory in human-AI coexistence. What’s particularly striking is the predicted shift from technological optimism to cautious integration, driven by Gen Z parents who’ve witnessed social media’s darker consequences. This suggests the AI industry faces a more sophisticated, demanding consumer base that won’t accept technology uncritically.
The timing is significant: as AI capabilities accelerate dramatically in 2025, the first Gen Beta children are being born into a world where AI is already reshaping education, healthcare, and work. Unlike previous generations who adapted to technology, Gen Beta will have no memory of life without AI. This raises profound questions about human development, creativity, and identity formation. The challenge for society will be ensuring that pervasive AI enhances rather than diminishes human potential—a balance that McCrindle’s emphasis on “timeless human needs” suggests will be crucial to navigate successfully.
Why This Matters
This story represents a pivotal moment in understanding how artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape human development and society. As the first generation to grow up with AI fully integrated into every aspect of life, Gen Beta will serve as a crucial test case for how humans adapt to pervasive automation and intelligent systems. The research highlights an important shift in societal attitudes toward technology—moving from uncritical adoption to more cautious, deliberate integration.
For the AI industry, this signals both opportunity and responsibility. Companies developing AI tools for education, healthcare, and entertainment must account for a generation of parents who are tech-savvy but skeptical, demanding transparency, safety, and human-centered design. The emphasis on balancing AI integration with human connection suggests that successful AI products will need to enhance rather than replace human experiences.
For businesses and policymakers, understanding Gen Beta’s formative environment is crucial for long-term planning. This generation will enter the workforce around 2040-2055, bringing expectations shaped by lifelong AI interaction. Their attitudes toward automation, privacy, and human-AI collaboration will define the future workplace and consumer markets for decades to come.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-new-generation-is-called-gen-beta-ai-mark-mccrindle-2025-1