Generation AI: What Gen Z thinks of Gen AI 

The way Gen Z and millennials view work is changing fast; and GenAI is right in the mix. According to Deloitte’s latest survey, young people in the Middle East are rewriting the rules of success. They care about financial stability, purpose, and well‑being way more than climbing the corporate ladder.

Here’s how GenAI fits into that picture:

- GenAI is becoming part of daily work. About three‑quarters of Gen Zs (74%) and millennials (77%) believe that GenAI will impact how they work within the next year. More than half already use GenAI in their day‑to‑day tasks.
- But it comes with worry. Over 60% of youth fear that GenAI might eliminate jobs. They are gravitating toward roles that feel safer from automation.

So what are Gen Z and millennials looking for as they navigate this new world of work powered by GenAI?

1. Soft skills become non‑negotiable. More than eight in ten say that skills like empathy, leadership, and communication are now more important than purely technical chops when it comes to future success. GenAI may automate tasks, but it can’t replicate human connection.

2. Growth over title. Only 6% of these young professionals say that reaching a senior leadership role is their top career goal. What they want instead are roles where they can learn, experiment, grow, make impact, and maintain balance in their lives.

3. Meaning matters. Nearly 90% believe that having a sense of purpose is central to job satisfaction. Wellbeing isn’t just a “nice to have” it shapes how supported, engaged, and fulfilled people feel. Work without purpose often leads to burnout.

For employers, that means rethinking what “success” looks like. Support the use of GenAI to automate when it helps. Invest in mentoring, in soft skills. Let people see how their work contributes. Because Gen Z isn’t rejecting ambition, they’re just defining it differently.

Source:

Deloitte study “Gen Z and Millennials in the Middle East: rewriting rules of success” — Deloitte Middle East
Link: https://www.deloitte.com/middle-east/en/about/press-room/study-reveals-middle-east-youth-writing-rules-of-success.html