U.S. workers are divided on the use of AI by their younger colleagues
Employers in the U.S. are divided on whether entry-level employees should be allowed to use artificial intelligence at work. According to a quarterly survey by CNBC and SurveyMonkey, 42% of respondents supported the use of AI by junior employees under clear rules and restrictions, while 35% believe such tools should be banned altogether.
The survey, conducted July 22–27, included 1,686 students and employees from the U.S. Another 14% of respondents said that entry-level employees should be allowed to use AI only under supervision and with prior approval. Only 9% supported unrestricted use of the technology.
According to CNBC, employers are encouraging employees to develop skills in working with artificial intelligence, hoping for higher productivity. At the same time, entry-level positions are generally considered more vulnerable to transformation or replacement by AI. According to a July report by ZipRecruiter, nearly one-third of employers said that AI has raised the bar for candidates’ experience in such roles.
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Generation Z expressed the strongest support for banning AI for entry-level employees: 42% of respondents in this age group answered this way, which is the highest percentage among the generations covered by the study. Sean VanDerZil, President and CEO of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, noted that young professionals may be wary of using AI due to the restrictions they encountered during their education.
According to VanDerZil, AI can be useful for routine tasks, proofreading, analyzing large data sets, and finding answers to common work-related questions. At the same time, he cautioned against automating tasks without first mastering them independently and against delegating decision-making to artificial intelligence.
CNBC also notes that employees may fear erroneous or misleading results generated by AI, as well as the potential disclosure of confidential or proprietary information by inexperienced colleagues. VanDerZil emphasized that, in addition to AI skills, employers value critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.
