New report reveals how young people are taking advantage of AI tools despite risks of being replaced by technology
Most young leaders in the United States believe artificial intelligence is making them more confident at work, and want the technology to be more personalised for better efficiency in the future, according to a new report.
Findings from a new Google Workspace survey among knowledge workers aged 22 to 39 revealed how AI has become a "helpful collaborator" for young people at work.
It found that AI has made nine in 10 respondents feel more confident in their professional skills (92%) and helped them contribute at a level higher than their role typically requires (91%).
These findings come amid the growing use of AI among young people, where 62% said that they ran materials, such as presentations or project proposals, through the technology to check for clarity, tone, structure, and more.
Another 92% of young people also believe that AI has been valuable in challenging their own ideas and receiving helpful feedback.
"Young leaders see AI as more than just a tool – they're leaning on it as a helpful collaborator and a trusted thought partner for professional development," said Yulie Kwon Kim, vice president of product, at Google Workspace.
AI has also become a tool for young people's professional development, according to the report, where 72% said they have used AI to answer a question they were hesitant to ask a colleague or manager.
The majority of young people also said they received advice from AI on important professional questions (71%) and on preparing for a career move, interview, or job transition (69%).
The youth wants personalised AI
But the growing use of AI has elevated the expectations of young people when it comes to the technology, as 92% seek a more personalised version of it for efficiency, according to the report.
"The era of one-size-fits-all AI is over," Kwon Kim said. "Our research shows that personalised AI is no longer a nice-to-have – it's the baseline expectation for rising leaders who rely on AI at work."
According to the report, 90% of young people would be more inclined to use AI at work if responses were more personalised.
This means having AI tailored to the user's preferences, such as their writing style or the company's brand guidelines. It should also include relevant information, such as content from email correspondence, planning documents, meeting notes, among others.
Many young people believe that having AI-generated responses that are tailored to their context would be helpful in saving time (90%) and improving productivity (88%).
It would also make 89% of the respondents feel more comfortable sending a lengthy email from their phone if AI can capture their personal tone and style, as well as the relevant context.
"Instead of simply accepting this technology with a one-size-fits-all mindset, they're designing curated workflows and collaborating with agents to drive value for their unique needs," Kwon Kim said.
AI replacing young people at work
The findings indicate how young people are taking control of AI tools amid recent reports that the technology is taking away their jobs as it further gets adopted in workplaces.
A recent global poll from the British Standards Institution (BSI) found 41% of business leaders saying that AI enabled headcount reductions in their workforce.
In the United States alone, a recent analysis of ADP data showed a 13% relative employment decline for workers aged 22 to 25 who are in the most AI-exposed occupations.
