Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly transitioned from being a niche technology to a transformative force, reshaping industries, job roles, and even the skills professionals need to stay relevant.
Organisations —from finance and healthcare to marketing and logistics—are investing heavily in AI adoption.
With this transformation comes an urgent call for workers to upskill. Yet, a fascinating paradox has emerged: Gen Z, the so-called digital natives, are often less motivated to pursue structured AI upskilling than their mid-career managers.
This might seem counterintuitive. After all, Gen Z grew up with smartphones, social media, and instant access to digital tools. If anyone should be racing ahead in AI adoption, wouldn’t it be them? But studies and anecdotal evidence suggest otherwise.
A Tale Of Two Generations
The contrast is striking. On one side, you have mid-level executives, many in their late 30s and 40s, flocking to AI workshops, certification programmes, and online courses. On the other side, a significant portion of Gen Z employees—those in their early 20s, fresh out of college—seem relatively laid back about structured learning in AI.
“When it comes to mid-level executives, they experience heightened FOMO, fear of losing their competitive edge, precisely because they lack this native confidence. Our data at KNOLSKAPE shows 56% of mid-career professionals actively seek AI training compared to just 41% of younger workers. This anxiety-driven motivation stems from recognising that their career relevance depends on mastering skills they didn’t grow up with,” said Rajiv Jayaraman, Founder and CEO of KNOLSKAPE, a Bengaluru software company.
His statement captures the core of the paradox. People who did not grow up with technology feel the most pressure to master it, while those born into a digital-first world often underestimate the need for formal learning.
The ‘Learned It Already’ Mindset Among Gen Z
One of the primary reasons for Gen Z’s lower drive for AI upskilling is their inherent comfort with technology. They are “digital natives” in the truest sense—most can intuitively navigate AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Google Bard without formal training.
This familiarity creates a false sense of competence. Because Gen Z can quickly adapt to new tech interfaces, they often assume they already understand the underlying mechanics or applications well enough for work contexts. This is what experts call the “learned it already” mindset.
However, knowing how to use AI tools casually is quite different from mastering them for strategic business use. Prompt engineering for creative tasks or building basic automation scripts may come naturally, but integrating AI into complex workflows, analysing ethical implications, or leveraging data for predictive modelling requires structured learning—a fact that younger professionals often overlook.
Managers Feel The Heat Of Career Relevance
Mid-level managers, in contrast, approach AI with a sense of urgency and anxiety. Many started their careers in a pre-AI era, relying on human-centric workflows and traditional tools. Now, as AI automates routine tasks and augments decision-making, they see a clear risk:
Upskill Or Become Irrelevant?
For them, the rise of AI is not just about efficiency— it is existential. Rajiv Jayaraman’s data shows this vividly: 56% of mid-career professionals actively seek AI training, compared to just 41% of younger workers.
This aligns with psychological research on motivation. When people perceive a threat to their professional identity, they become more proactive in acquiring new skills. For managers, AI represents both an opportunity and a wake-up call. They fear falling behind younger colleagues and even AI itself, driving them to enrol in certification programmes, attend webinars, and push for corporate training budgets.
Workplace Dynamics: How AI Is Changing Roles
Another factor is the shifting nature of workplace responsibilities.
Younger employees often start in entry-level roles where AI augments tasks rather than replaces them—think generating reports, analysing data summaries, or drafting marketing copy. The stakes feel low because they believe they can “learn as they go”.
Mid-career managers, however, handle strategic decisions, resource allocation, and team leadership. As AI tools start influencing high-level decisions—like predictive analytics for sales forecasting or talent management—these professionals feel the pressure to deeply understand the technology shaping their choices.
The fear is not unfounded. A 2023 World Economic Forum report estimated that 44% of workers’ core skills will change by 2027 due to AI and automation. For managers, failing to keep up could mean losing leadership credibility in AI-driven workplaces.
The Role Of FOMO vs. Digital Confidence
The generational divide boils down to two psychological drivers:
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Predominant among mid-career professionals who worry that without AI expertise, promotions, leadership roles, or even job security may slip away.
Digital Confidence: Common among Gen Z, who believe their intuitive tech skills put them ahead, even without formal credentials.
Ironically, digital confidence can breed complacency. Younger professionals assume they will “pick it up on the job,” underestimating how rapidly AI tools evolve. By the time they realise structured training is essential, they might already lag behind peers who invested early in certifications and specialised skills.
Corporate Training Data Supports This Divide
Learning and development (L&D) teams in many organisations observe this trend first-hand. Internal data from training providers like KNOLSKAPE, Coursera, and Udemy often shows higher enrolment rates among mid-level professionals than entry-level workers for AI-focused courses.
A McKinsey survey in 2023 found that while 62% of senior leaders considered AI training a top priority, only 38% of employees under 25 showed similar enthusiasm. This gap highlights how career stage influences motivation: the closer you are to decision-making roles, the more urgent upskilling feels.
What Are The Cultural And Educational Factors?
Gen Z also grew up in an era of abundant free learning resources—YouTube tutorials, online forums, open-source tools. This creates a mindset of “I can Google it when I need it” rather than committing to structured programmes.
Moreover, universities have been slow to integrate AI ethics, prompt engineering, and applied machine learning into standard curricula. Many Gen Z workers graduate believing they have cutting-edge skills, only to realise the workplace demands far deeper expertise.
The Risk of Career Plateau
Experts warn that Gen Z’s casual approach to AI learning could backfire. As AI automates entry-level tasks, career progression will increasingly favour those who can design, implement, and oversee AI-driven processes—skills requiring formal training.
Without upskilling, younger professionals risk hitting a career plateau, stuck in roles where AI does the heavy lifting while managers with AI expertise move into strategic, higher-paying positions.
How Companies Can Bridge The Gap
Organisations cannot afford this generational learning divide. To stay competitive, they need both digitally confident Gen Z workers and strategically skilled managers mastering AI together. Here are some approaches companies are adopting:
Micro-Learning Modules: Short, engaging AI lessons fit into Gen Z’s fast-paced workstyle better than week-long workshops.
Gamified Learning Platforms: Points, leaderboards, and interactive challenges appeal to younger workers’ need for instant feedback.
Mentorship Pairing: Matching mid-career managers with Gen Z employees for cross-generational AI projects benefits both groups.
Career Incentives: Linking AI certifications to promotions or salary hikes creates tangible motivation.
Hackathons & Innovation Labs: Real-world AI problem-solving energises younger employees more than traditional classroom sessions.
What Lies Ahead?
As AI continues to evolve, the workplace will demand a blend of technical fluency, ethical judgment, and strategic application. Gen Z has the advantage of digital comfort, but without deliberate upskilling, they risk being outpaced by peers—both older and younger—who combine intuition with structured expertise.
Meanwhile, mid-career managers will likely maintain their hunger for learning as long as AI keeps rewriting the rules of leadership and decision-making.
The paradox may resolve itself over time as Gen Z matures into managerial roles. By then, however, the AI landscape will have shifted again—making continuous learning, not just early learning, the real differentiator across generations.
