AI at work: Gen Z’s shortcut or stepping stone?

If you want to know how much AI is changing the world of work, look no further than Generation Z. Recent surveys show that nine in ten UK university students now use AI tools in their studies, whether to brainstorm ideas, summarise reading lists, or untangle tricky concepts. For many young people, using tools like ChatGPT is as natural as using Google is for everyone else. 

But it isn’t just students using AI to support their learning. Among younger workers, attitudes are shifting fast. A Trades Union Congress poll found that more than six in ten 25- to 34-year-olds worry AI could change or take their job. And yet, paradoxically, they’re also the most willing to adopt it. This tension between excitement and anxiety is becoming a defining feature of how Gen Z approaches work. 

There are clear upsides to using AI: it can strip away repetitive tasks, speed up research, and make space for creativity. It’s already helping young professionals get to grips with new industries more quickly. And for employers, it means recruits arrive more tech-savvy, with an instinctive feel for digital tools. 

But challenges remain. Educators warn about the risk of over-reliance i.e. students letting the machine think for them rather than thinking for themselves. Workers, meanwhile, sometimes hesitate to use AI openly, worried colleagues might see it as cheating. Also, not everyone has equal access or training, meaning gaps in what any one person can deliver, and to what level, can widen. 

One question worth asking is what this reliance means for career progression. Traditionally, junior staff cut their teeth on the groundwork - drafting, researching, crunching numbers - and in that way building the judgement and confidence to contribute meaningfully at work. If AI is doing more of that heavy lifting, how will younger employees gain the depth of knowledge needed to step up into senior roles? It’s not an argument against using AI, but a reminder that businesses need to strike a balance: using technology to accelerate work without losing the learning that comes from doing it ourselves. 

Out of curiosity, I put the question back to AI itself: what does it think the long-term effects will be on young people at work? Its answer: “In the long run, AI will reshape how young people enter and progress in the workforce. Routine tasks will be automated, pushing them toward roles that demand creativity, adaptability, and human judgment. This could widen inequality between those who learn to work effectively with AI and those who don’t. At the same time, AI may speed up career shifts, making lifelong learning and reskilling a permanent expectation rather than an option.” 

For companies, the message is clear. AI literacy is no longer optional, but neither is thoughtful implementation. Training, support, and a culture that treats AI as a tool rather than a threat will help ensure young people harness the benefits while still building the expertise to lead in the future.