The rise of artificial intelligence has sparked concerns about the end of entry-level jobs, with recent Stanford research showing that workers aged 22 to 25 in AI-exposed occupations experienced a striking 13% decline in employment between 2022 and 2025. Roles such as software developer, customer service representative, and accountant have seen sharp decreases in opportunities for newcomers, while older, experienced employees have maintained or even expanded their presence.

Against this backdrop of disruption, however, young workers are not retreating—they're rewriting the rules entirely, and emerging data suggests they may ultimately win big.

The Hidden Advantage

While headlines focus on displacement, a closer look reveals that Gen Z and millennials are outpacing older generations in AI adoption, confidence, and skill development. According to a 2025 IWG report surveying over 2,000 office workers, 86% of employees say AI has increased their efficiency. Still, this figure jumps to 87% among Gen Z.

Derek Thomas, national partner-in-charge of university talent acquisition at KPMG US, noted in Fortune that "Gen Z is making AI work for them. While other generations are still debating whether to use it, Gen Z is exploring new and creative ways to utilize AI for increased efficiency". KPMG's 2025 intern survey found that 92% of young workers believe they can adapt to automation, with half expecting approximately 20% of their roles to be automated in the near future. Rather than fear this shift, they're leaning into it with remarkable speed. PwC's 2024 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears survey revealed that 70% of workers aged 18 to 25 believe generative AI presents opportunities for them to expand their capabilities.

Mentorship in Reverse

What's particularly striking is the role reversal happening in workplaces: Gen Z employees are now coaching older colleagues to use AI tools, effectively becoming in-house trainers and flattening traditional hierarchies. By mentoring others on AI competencies, they simultaneously enhance their own skills and position themselves as indispensable assets during technological transformation.

Typical AI applications include drafting emails, organizing documents, taking meeting notes, and automating data entry—tasks that, when delegated to AI, free up an average of 55 minutes per day for more strategic, meaningful work. This ability to deploy AI as a productivity multiplier rather than a replacement gives young workers an edge that older generations are still learning to grasp.

The Long Game

History offers a reassuring pattern: young workers have consistently adapted to disruptive technologies faster than their predecessors, and AI appears no different. PwC research indicates that workers with AI skills command a 25% wage premium, a compelling incentive for early adopters.

While the immediate outlook for traditional entry-level roles may be uncertain, emerging opportunities in AI implementation, oversight, content curation, and augmentation are opening entirely new career paths. The young workers who build domain expertise early, develop taste and curatorial judgment, and focus on AI-augmented skills will likely emerge not as victims of automation, but as architects of the next economy.

Human-oriented skills, such as empathy, critical thinking, and resilience, remain irreplaceable by algorithms. Gen Z's willingness to combine these strengths with cutting-edge technical fluency positions them uniquely for long-term success. As one LinkedIn analysis aptly concluded, the signals may be faint, but they are there: young workers are turning the odds in their favor.