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Gen Z professionals prefer consulting GenAI over their managers: UpGrad report

Despite some concerns over job security, 65 per cent of GenZ respondents reported feeling neutral to optimistic about GenAI

Nearly 75 per cent GenZ professionals trust GenAI outputs to be correct and enough. (Representative image/ Source: Freepik)

Based on insights from over 3,500 GenZ professionals across diverse backgrounds and more than 1,000 HR leaders, 1 in 2 GenZs believe that GenAI will play a supportive, if not central role in their careers over the next five years. This data was revealed in a study titled ‘The GenAI Gap: GenZ & the Modern Workplace’ by upGrad Enterprise – the corporate skilling and workforce development division of online skilling platform upGrad.

As per the survey, despite some concerns over job security, 65 per cent of GenZ respondents reported feeling neutral to optimistic about GenAI, while 77 per cent see the technology as a harbinger of new professional possibilities. Interestingly, 56 per cent of Gen Z respondents prefer consulting GenAI over their managers, due to its constant accessibility and perceived impartiality.

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Additionally, 54 per cent of Gen Z respondents believe their current organisational guidelines on GenAI are inadequate, revealing a need for companies to establish clearer Artificial Intelligence (AI) policies and comprehensive training. On the same lines, 52 per cent of GenZ respondents acknowledged a lack of clarity around their workplace GenAI training programmes, with some highlighting that updates are rare or nonexistent — emphasising the widespread inaccessibility of upskilling opportunities in today’s workplaces.

Talking about the same, most HR professionals are on the same page as only 21 per cent of them admitted feeling comfortable relying on GenAI for regulatory training, highlighting the need for compliance-focused resources.

While 75 per cent GenZ professionals trust AI outputs to be correct and enough, 72 per cent have admitted using the AI-generated information as it is. However, when it comes to disclosure of AI usage information, only 24 per cent GenZ professionals are comfortable sharing their AI usage with other colleagues while 25 per cent are against it. Interestingly, 50 per cent of GenZ professionals are yet to make up their mind about it.