Age Influences Workplace AI Exposure

It's probably not surprising to hear that a person's willingness to adopt artificial-intelligence technology generally correlates with their age. But according to a report released by the Institute for Public Relations, younger employees are also far more likely to receive AI guidance and training in the workplace.

IPR’s report, which sought to examine generational differences in the workplace, found there’s a dramatic generational gap when it comes to what exposure employees receive when it comes to using generative AI technology.

Percentage of employees who received training for AI use in the workplace.

For one, younger employees were far more likely to report access to AI training. According to the report, 57 percent of employees ages 25–34 said their organization provides training for using common Gen AI tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, compared to just 31 percent of employees ages 65 or over.

In addition, employees between the ages of 25–34 were also far more likely (57 percent) to receive workplace guidance for using generative AI compared to employees ages 55–64 (37 percent).

Perhaps as a result, younger employees were more anxious about the potential impacts AI might have on their careers than their older colleagues, who appeared far less worried about the prospect of losing their jobs due to AI. Only 15 percent of employees ages 65 or older and 22 percent of those ages 55-64 expressed concern about AI-driven job displacement, compared to 35 percent of employees ages 18–24 and 31 percent of employees ages 25–34.

The report highlighted other generational differences as well. For one, younger employees consistently reported higher value alignment with their organizations. About three-quarters (74 percent) of employees ages 25–34 and 70 percent of employees ages 18–24 said they believe their organization’s values are mostly aligned with their own. However, younger employees were also more likely to be publicly critical of their jobs than their older cohorts: A third (33 percent) of employees ages 18–24 said they would publicly share negative workplace experiences online compared to only 18 percent of employees ages 55–64 who admitted they would do this.

Meanwhile, older employees consistently demonstrated stronger organizational advocacy and loyalty, with two-thirds of employees 65 or older (66 percent) saying they believe their colleagues would defend their organization during a crisis, compared to 55 percent of those ages 18–24 who agreed. Employees aged 65 or over were also more likely (77 percent) to believe their colleagues would “go the extra mile” for a client, while 63 percent of employees between the ages of 18–24 believed so.

IPR’s report, “From Gen Z to Boomers: How Age Influences Employee Engagement, Advocacy, and AI Mindset,” was based on surveys conducted by The Harris Poll that polled more than 8,000 U.S. employees between 2022 and 2025. The report was released by the Institute for Public Relations in conjunction with agency Integral.