Almost half of Gen Z workers are too scared to speak to their colleagues without the help of artificial intelligence (AI), new research has found.
Britons aged between 16 and 28 say they feel more comfortable talking to chatbots than their co-workers and need to use systems like ChatGPT and Google Gemini before attending meetings or networking events.
The figures, shared exclusively with the Daily Mail by talent network Nova, have sparked concerns among experts who say ‘genuine conversation has become the rarest skill of all’ in the modern workplace.
Of the 1,000 young workers surveyed across England, Scotland and Wales, some 45 per cent said they regularly use AI to help them prepare for professional conversations.
Two in five respondents believe the technology makes them feel ‘more confident’ when communicating with colleagues, while just a quarter said it doesn’t help them at all.
Throughout the survey, men were found to use AI more often than their female counterparts in the workplace – though 52 per cent of Gen Z women admitted using the tech to send professional emails and messages.
Amid a working from home boom over recent years, 40 per cent of young staff are also using the software as a ‘safety net’ when they run out of things to say to a colleague.
Andrea Marino, Co-Founder and CEO at Nova, told the Daily Mail that the COVID pandemic, remote working and AI has ‘completely reshaped how young professionals communicate’.Â
Gen Z workers are too scared to speak to their colleagues without the help of AI in the workplace, research has found (Stock Image)
He said: ‘We’re seeing a generation that’s more connected than ever online, but less confident in person.
‘Whilst technology has made it easier to reach people, it’s also made real connection much harder.
‘The irony is that in an age of constant contact, genuine conversation has become the rarest skill of all. Those who can master it will go further in their careers than any algorithm ever could.’
The research went on to find that more than a third of Gen Z staff will even go into meetings with AI-prepared ice-breaker jokes to put them at ease.
In fact, some 33 per cent said they practiced full conversations with the chatbot before meeting someone in real life, to gauge which comments may go down well or otherwise.
The youngsters believe the software to be helpful because 60 per cent of them actively avoid in-person networking event.
Some 29 per cent also say they feel socially anxious when faced with real-life small talk.
While the majority of the young workers still see the importance in attending face-to-face events in the workplace, more than a quarter of respondents said they they would be ‘lost’ without running things past AI before they do them.Â
Susie Ashfield, a bestselling author and leading speech coach, urged Gen Z to ‘pick up the phone, say yes to the meeting, and start the conversation’.
She said: ‘Confidence in communication isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you build through practice. The more time you spend behind a screen, the harder it becomes to speak with clarity and conviction in person.Â
‘My advice to young professionals is simple: talk more. The people who can communicate confidently in real life will always be the ones who stand out.’
Share or comment on this article:
Gen Z workers need AI to speak to colleagues, study finds