In today’s observation we realise that South Africa’s GenZs are unbothered by the threat of AI. They are confident and sure that they have the skills and education to survive the future of work, especially a future with AI.
This generation believes that even though technology will play a vital role in their future workplace, they are also equally confident that their humanity(emotions and creativity) will set them apart from the AI used.
What do these insights from the 30/30/30 Project mean for the future of work? Do you believe that the optimism and positivity expressed by this generation is well founded or just naivety that will diminish as soon as they have accumulated more years of work experience?
Much more of where this certainty and optimism comes from is unpacked in the observation below. Continue reading to find out more.
What we learnt:
Twenty-one of our interviewees believe that what they are doing now and what they have studied has made their job future-proof. A similar number of people say they are not worried about technology such as AI coming in and taking away their jobs. This level of confidence and optimism was unexpected.
“No [I am not concerned about the impact of AI on my career], because I feel like there will always be a need for human sentiment and emotions and those you cannot create from a machine. You can’t get those either from a machine.” – Balekane (28, Black, female)
“In terms of confidence, real confidence, having both optimism and agency … all of the participants scored very highly on both of those topics. They’re very optimistic, they’ve got a personal future and they’re also very self-confident that they will direct that own future in a positive direction.” – Dion, Bronwyn or Ronen
“I still think this generation is positively charged. The default setting is that they’ve come in positive and slightly naive, which is good.” – Dion, Bronwyn or Ronen
What does the research/experts say:
Our sample shows a lack of fear for future job prospects and the impact of AI and other technology on their future employment. There was hardly any mention of artificial intelligence. Their reaction may be an anomaly or a general representation of the sentiments of South African youth.
Global research paints a different picture, according to two different surveys. The first is a February 2024 study by D2L, an international learning technology company, which states Gen Z workers in the US are more worried about the potential AI threat to their jobs than Gen X. An Indeed survey polled over 3,500 leaders and 3,743 jobseekers in the UK, USA, Canada, India, France, Japan and Germany and found that more than 30% of 18-24-year-olds are afraid that the rollout of AI will have a dramatic effect on the job market, with only 15% of those over 45 fearing that they could lose their job due to artificial intelligence. “My hypothesis is that older workers have seen this story before. They lived through the rise of the PC … they lived through the rise of the internet,” says Hannah Calhoon, Head of AI innovation at Indeed.
“If young South Africans are indeed apprehensive of AI, they should note that familiarity with technology such as AI will soon be as common as, say, basic word processing skills”, according to Chike Aguh, senior advisor with The Project on Workforce at Harvard University. He says, “The same way that an organisation wouldn’t hire someone who couldn’t use Google Search in two years. If someone can’t use technology to increase their productivity, we won’t hire them because that’ll be as basic as Microsoft Office.”
The danger of this apparent naivete is that they may not make the best choices on what to study to increase the likelihood of employment or career advancement.
What can businesses and policymakers do about this?
Youth must receive career guidance from a young age, as stated in the “Educated but unemployed” section. While a positive outlook is preferable to a negative one, a healthy apprehension of the future of work is essential. This apprehension can be channelled into making the best career choices and encouraging lifelong learning and upskilling.
There is an opportunity for employers to help workers better prepare themselves for the future. Says Dr Sasha Thackaberry, VP of Wave at D2L, “Skills development – whether it’s on using generative AI more efficiently, or simply upskilling to stay ahead of change – is crucial for workers to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of work.”
Policymakers must stress the importance of planning for the future of work. Educational campaigns aimed at high school students should be where this begins. It need not be alarmist. Instead, the messaging should be empowering and optimistic. Tertiary educational institutions must receive incentives to be up-to-date with the latest technological developments when planning their curricula, even within non-technological fields of study. Short courses on topics such as AI should be made available, especially to those from low-income backgrounds. Singapore made an announcement in March 2024 that it will invest in AI education for those over 40 to retrain and modernise their skills. A workforce where young people are engaged and thriving is better for society overall, from many viewpoints.
By Flux Trends
The data and quotes mentioned above refer to a project that we are in the midst of, in conjunction with Student Village called “The 30/30/30 Project” whereby we collected insights from 30 South Africans, under the age of 30, 30 years into our new democracy.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Use these and many more insights from the 30/30/30 Project Report to BUILD your team, by booking a Bridgebuilder™ Workshop.
Close the generation gap and dive into the future of work and how to manage it.
There is a 15% discount for booking this workshop for September 2024.
Contact Bethea Clayton at connected@fluxtrends.co.za or +27764539405, to claim your discount!
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Image credit: Google DeepMind
