AI: Gen Z's Job Killer or Career Accelerator?

Today's youngest workers are entering the workforce with a unique advantage and an unprecedented anxiety. As the first cohort to have AI tools readily available, Generation Z finds itself at the center of a technological revolution that could either destroy their career prospects or accelerate their advancement.

New research reveals a striking contradiction: while 68% of young professionals fear AI will automate their roles, more than half actively use these tools multiple times per week. This tension defines the modern entry-level job market, where the very technology threatening jobs is also becoming an essential skill for career growth.

The findings come from a comprehensive study by the Oliver Wyman Forum, which surveyed 300,000 consumers and workers over five years, including 45,000 adult Gen Z members. The data paints a complex picture of a generation simultaneously embracing and fearing the future of work.

The anxiety is palpable and quantifiable. According to the Oliver Wyman Forum research, nearly 70% of Gen Z workers express concern about AI's automation capabilities. This fear isn't unfounded—multiple industry leaders have publicly warned about significant job displacement.

Despite these concerns, adoption rates tell a different story. The study shows that 58% of Gen Z use AI tools at least three to four times weekly—significantly more than older generations. This widespread usage suggests that fear isn't preventing engagement; it's coexisting with it.

The research also reveals that nearly half of Gen Z believe AI has already changed the caliber or type of work expected from them. This shift is happening in real-time, not as a future prediction.

Key adoption gaps between generations:

• Gen Z is 1.7 times more likely to participate in AI training than Boomers
• Young workers are 2.3 times more likely to report productivity increases from AI
• Gen Z uses AI tools more frequently than any other generation
• Older workers show significantly less anxiety about automation

The corporate world offers conflicting visions of AI's impact on early-career professionals. At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, executives from leading technology companies presented starkly different forecasts.

The pessimistic outlook comes from Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic. He maintains his controversial prediction that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years. Amodei noted that his company is already seeing AI minimize the need for some junior roles.

This sentiment is echoed by economist Marc Sumerlin, who suggested companies might pause hiring young workers as they await AI benefits. The timing is particularly concerning given that the unemployment rate for recent U.S. college graduates remained elevated at 5.3% in the third quarter, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

AI could erase half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years.

However, not all executives share this grim outlook. Dylan Field, CEO of Figma, argues that AI skills provide young professionals with a hiring advantage rather than a threat. Similarly, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman advises young people to leverage their AI familiarity as a selling point during job searches.

For some young professionals, AI isn't a threat—it's a career accelerator. Lindsay Grippo, a 28-year-old editor at New York-based digital marketing agency Codeword, credits AI with helping her develop big-picture strategic thinking earlier in her career.

Grippo uses AI to draft newsletters, blog posts, and other copy, then evaluates the output as if it were from a junior creative. This process has transformed her role from content creator to strategic reviewer.

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.

Kyle Monson, a founding partner at Codeword and a 46-year-old Gen Xer, observes that young employees like Grippo are among the most proficient AI users. He notes that when he started his career, he had to perform extensive grunt work—data entry, note-taking—before advancing to higher-value assignments.

Monson sees AI fluency as a distinct advantage for younger workers. By automating repetitive tasks, AI allows junior talent to immediately tackle assignments requiring judgment calls and strategic thinking—the very work that accelerates career growth.

That's when your career really starts to take off.

The contrast between Gen Z and older workers extends beyond anxiety levels to fundamental work habits. The Oliver Wyman Forum study highlights that younger professionals are not just using AI more—they're integrating it into their workflow at a fundamentally different rate.

While Boomers show significantly lower adoption and less concern about automation, Gen Z has embraced AI as a core productivity tool. This creates a potential skills gap that could advantage younger workers in an increasingly AI-driven workplace.

The data suggests that Gen Z's comfort with AI isn't just about technical proficiency—it's about mindset. Young workers are more likely to view AI as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement, using it to enhance their capabilities rather than fearing it as a substitute.

This generational difference in AI adoption could reshape career trajectories. Young professionals who master AI tools early may advance faster than previous generations, while those who resist may find themselves at a disadvantage in an increasingly automated workplace.

The relationship between Gen Z and AI represents a fundamental shift in how careers begin and progress. The data shows a generation simultaneously anxious about automation yet actively using it to their advantage—a paradox that defines the modern workplace.

For young professionals, the path forward involves embracing AI as a tool for strategic development rather than fearing it as a job threat. The most successful Gen Z workers are those who use AI to skip repetitive tasks and focus on higher-value work that requires human judgment and creativity.

Industry leaders remain divided on AI's ultimate impact, but the evidence suggests that AI fluency is becoming a critical career asset. Young workers who develop these skills now may find themselves better positioned for advancement than those who wait.

The future of entry-level work isn't about humans versus machines—it's about humans who can effectively collaborate with AI. For Gen Z, this collaboration may be their greatest opportunity for career acceleration.