AI and the Future for our Youth (Gen Alpha vs Gen Zs)

Key Insights from this Article

• How do Gen Zs and Gen Alphas think about AI and other emerging digital technologies?
• Are they prepared for a very different world from the one previous generations have lived in?
• Are they optimistic or fearful about the future?

The Subject

Every time the conversation with the current leaders turns to what the future will be like for our younger generation, parental instincts and worry kick in. Various images of dystopian futures will emerge - Will they have good careers? Will they be more easily manipulated and scammed? Will they be digitally addicted and lose the human touch?

Surprisingly among Gen Zs and Millenials, attitudes towards Gen AI don't differ that much, according to 德勤 's 2024 Gen Z and Millenial Survey.

I'm not too sure what to make of the results. Frequent GenAI users, compared to occasional/non-users, are both more optimistic and pessimistic at the same time. They believe there will be more positive effects on work. But they also believe GenAI-driven automation will eliminate jobs and push them to find jobs that are less vulnerable to automation.

We decided to hear from the horse's mouth and speak to the young people ourselves. And most of those we spoke to were... fairly upbeat about the future, although cognizant and cautious about the risks.

Will there be a larger generational difference between the Instagram generation (Gen Zs) and the Roblox generation (Gen Alphas), compared to the difference between Gen Zs and Millenials? I will let you draw your own conclusions from the 2 interviews below.

The Gen Alphas

We interviewed a group of 14-16 year old students from Yishun Town Secondary School 's computer club. So they may not be fully representative of Gen Alphas as these are the students with an inclination to emerging technologies already.

They've participated in drone, programming and robotics competitions. Overall a really impressive bunch. But I was really awestruck by the depth of their thinking on the key issues facing their generation.

We conducted the interview in Meta's Horizon Workrooms to preserve the students' privacy, but also because it was just very cool. This interview was created by a group of Gen Zs on the team - Gabrielle S. , Raynard Ong , and Michelle Tan .

The Gen Alpha interview

Q1 What does Being Human in a Digital World mean to you?

Nikhil: Being human in a digital world means to have emotions and expressions enhanced by digital means.

?Xuan: Means to have a convenient platform for you to be able to connect with your friends and family

Joey: It’s being able to learn and adapt to this metaverse that we are all going to live in someday.

Titus: Means to uphold our human standards our human morals in this ever changing digital world.

Q2 How are you preparing for a digital future?

D.S.: I've gone to the field of computer science quite recently actually. I think it was one or two years before this moment in time, I studied Python, C++, and joining competitions with my friends has also motivated me to go forward.

Nikhil: For me, it started in primary school, my CCA and I’ve just grown it along the years with like more competitions and different types of competitions as well. So like from drones, to competitive programming. I've basically done it all.

Titus: I started coding when I was in primary school. I was also in an Infocomm club and I learned how to do block coding and participated in other events such as photography. It gave me an insight on block coding and what my passion is and what I should pursue in the future.

Joey: During the June holidays I actually went for a cybersecurity course in Nanyang Polytechnic and that really sparked the interest for me. Cybersecurity

Michelle: I started my tech experience in primary school where I learned block coding and after that, I also learned by myself HTML to design websites using HTML. I think it was really fun and interesting to know how the codes work.?

Q3 Anonymity or authenticity in designing your avatar?

Joey: I tried to style myself like how I normally would and I think this is quite a new look. The outfit is something that I would wear but my hair and like my hat is quite different.. So it's nice to be able to explore.

D.S: The way I'm trying to design my avatar is keeping everything is quite realistic. I don't want something that's straight out of the videogame or straight out of a fantasy novel, or something that's also something that's different. me in real life. Somewhere in the sweet spot in between.

?Q4 How can we strike balance between the virtual world and the real life world?

?Nikhil: So personally, I spend about six hours or so (per day).

?Titus: Three hours every day online.

?Michelle: Five hours (per day).

?Joey: I try my best to not go above five hours (per day).

?Michelle: So I think that we should strike a balance between both worlds, the digital one and the real world around us to maintain a well-rounded and emotionally fulfilling life.?

Q5 Can you tell the real humans from AI-Generated humans?

Pixelone: I couldn’t tell the differences and I may also also want to choose video one but I am a little bit on the edge on who to choose.

Xuan: I think it is actually quite scary how Ai can actually represent human beings in a really realistic way. As AI progresses, it will be even more realistic, you cannot see the difference between AI and the real people.

Joey: I think as much as it's scary that AI can replicate these models, these idols, I think it's quite exciting to see this.

Q6 The one question we need to be discussing

Nikhil: How will the Internet develop over the years and how can the next generation improve on it?

D.S.: My question is that will we humans be able to keep up with the Internet’s development? Like today, we have a lot of artificial intelligence, we have a lot of chatbots that start to become more and more like humans. They seem to have feelings. They seem to be able to think and have a mind on their own. But in the far future, when they are able to think and speak and act just like normal humans in the digital space, what then becomes of real humans? Will we just lose meaning? Or do we have something over them??

Titus: For me, I think the most important question is how can we develop the Internet such that it has a a more positive impact on our youths today? Because I think many teenagers currently struggle and they are unable to really take a look at the physical world, and they are always constantly using their hand phones. So I think it's a really big challenge that we have to solve. So we can make sure the Internet gives a positive impact on youths today.??

The Gen Zs

My Gen Z guest is Mugdha Jaruhar, a fresh graduate from Singapore Management University. Mugdha is a Center for the Edge fellow, and I am really excited for her as she embarks on her new career. AI tools can now do a lot of the work that we previously expected fresh graduates to do, and this is causing a lot of worry about graduate unemployment or underemployment. Companies will need to rethink how they develop talent in order to ensure a long-term leadership pipeline. But more importantly, we want to create a bright future for the next generation to look forward to.

Note of disclaimer: This interview was conducted before Mugdha started work, and the views expressed are her personal views and do not represent the views of her current organisation.

The Gen Z Interview

Q1 Your outlook on the future with AI and the metaverse?

MUGDHA: As someone who has freshly graduated, and has graduated with a lot of emerging tech, like ChatGPT and the Metaverse, I'm happy to say that it's really optimistic, I feel like the outlook is so promising up ahead. As students, we have really used ChatGPT and then transitioning into work as well, we use it even more, and you know, people are adapting it way more. That's so exciting. So, I think the future is super exciting, and super promising. And I can't wait for more of these technologies to come up and for people to adapt with a much more open mind.

I'm happy to say that it's really optimistic, I feel like the outlook is so promising up ahead.

Q2 Do technologies threaten your job prospects?

MUGDHA: As someone who has just finished my job-hunting phase, these questions really come up as like, “do you think some careers are going to become obsolete?” and these are conversations that we have had in our classrooms with our professors. And while it may seem really nerve racking, I think that these technologies actually bring a lot more opportunities, you know, they make things a lot more efficient.

So that means that this gives us time for more critical thinking and other kinds of career prospects. So, while maybe certain tasks are obsolete, I don't think careers will entirely become obsolete. So that makes me less threatened but more excited about what's you know, to come with these AI tech and emerging tech?

As someone who has just finished my job-hunting phase, these questions really come up as like, “do you think some careers are going to become obsolete?” and these are conversations that we have had in our classrooms with our professors.

Q3 Can you disconnect in an 'always-on' world?

MUGDHA: The agency is always within the user. You always have the power to disconnect. And it is so important to do so.? While you're constantly being surrounded with all this tech and technology, but you know, being able to disconnect, it's like taking back charge of your own life. And it is as simple as putting your phone down or, you know, having that extra bit of time that you have with your friends and family going out doing outdoorsy stuff.

Because ultimately, we do live in the physical realm. That's where our real lives are. So, it is always in your power to do so. And while you're truly surrounded by all this tech, there is always an off button. So, I do fundamentally believe that you can always turn it off.

Q4 Do algorithms control your life choices?

MUGDHA: Algorithms now are crazy - from what you watch, to who you date to, to who you actually end up with on dating apps, and literally everything that we do. But you can choose to actively seek out diverse information to actively confirm if that information is correct.? So, while algorithms really do influence the kind of information that we are consuming, ultimately, it is still in your power to kind of reconfirm the information that you do consume and also spread with other people. So, I do think that agency being distorted does come with a lot of passive consumption of you know, this kind of media or tech. But when you take active control over what you're consuming, then I think it shouldn't be much of a concern.

Algorithms now are crazy - from what you watch, to who you date to, to who you actually end up with on dating apps, and literally everything that we do. But you can choose to actively seek out diverse information to actively confirm if that information is correct.?

Q5 Impact of tech on graduate employment?

MUGDHA: It's like a hush hush topic - like, should I be using AI to improve my work? Because then would that make me seem useless, and someone who's only good at prompt engineering, but I feel like prompt engineering in itself as a talent if you're making mundane tasks more efficient, and that gives you more time for things that actually matter and things that make the buck? ?I mean, there is a revenue standpoint to this, but I think sometimes, as fresh graduates, you are really shy about that. And then and maybe you might think that your managers might not be receptive to something like that.

So, I think it's really grappling with like transitioning from using it so frequently at for your study, which is something you do independently to transitioning it and using it within teams, within diverse of age groups as well, or people's, you know, risk, adversity, things like that. So, I think those are like challenges. But I think it will come to a point where even those who do not subscribe to AI and emerging tech will have to. They will be left with no choice but to because they will have to become a part of workplaces.

It's like a hush hush topic - like, should I be using AI to improve my work? Because then would that make me seem useless, and someone who's only good at prompt engineering, but I feel like prompt engineering in itself as a talent if you're making mundane tasks more efficient, and that gives you more time for things that actually matter.

Q6 What should employers consider with new tech?

MUGDHA: I think that would be beneficial to management, understanding the way we think, and how we want to optimise the way we work. Because, you know, now in your job descriptions, for example, they say, oh, must be proficient in Excel or things like that. But my friends who are not proficient in Excel, all they do is to ask ChatGPT for the formula. And so much of the time is saved. And they also learn on the go.

So I hope that also employers would have a more open mind to people finding alternative ways to learn because not everybody has access to doing online courses or learning it even in university. So, if someone is being resourceful enough to find alternative mediums to educate themselves and that is through AI, then I think that should be credited.

Q5 The ONE question we need to be discussing

MUGDHA: I think there's a lot of buzz about what this tech can bring. But I think what we should also be discussing is how we can provide this tech to be accessible to all. So, such that it doesn't become that situation, again, where the benefits of this tech are really concentrated to those at the top, but that, you know, the benefits are really trickled down to various levels within society so that we benefit as a whole. And we don't leave those who don't have access to such technologies behind. Because when that gap widens, then to me that is not progress at all. If it's not progress as a society, then it is not progress at all.

(It's important) we don't leave those who don't have access to such technologies behind. Because when that gap widens, then to me that is not progress at all. If it's not progress as a society, then it is not progress at all.

?Q7 What does being human in a digital world mean to you?

Being human in a digital world means being interconnected in a very dynamic and fast-changing landscape. But while that is happening, it also means being thoughtful and authentic to the people that I'm interacting with, whether they are people who are virtually existing, or existing in the physical realm.

Being human in a digital world means being interconnected in a very dynamic and fast-changing landscape.

Michelle Khoo co-leads Deloitte's futures thinktank Center for the Edge.

These interviews are part of a video series by Deloitte and Center for the Edge, where we interview thought leaders from across different sectors and demographics on "What it means to be human in a digital world" and how they are navigating an AI-driven future.