When ChatGPT burst onto the scene in 2022, it was a novelty. Today, artificial intelligence is deeply integrated into our daily workflows. But while Wall Street celebrates the AI boom, the generation currently entering the workforce is looking at this technological revolution with a sense of dread.

According to Gen Z commentator Ricky Schlott, this isn’t just typical youthful angst—it’s a completely rational fear.

In a recent Fox Business interview, Schlott broke down the generational divide surrounding AI, highlighting why older generations might be missing the point when they dismiss Gen Z’s concerns.

The 30-Year Career Dilemma

The core of Gen Z’s anxiety stems from extreme uncertainty. For young adults trying to plot out a 10, 20, or 30-year career path, the rapid advancement of AI presents an unprecedented hurdle.

“The fact that we use it so often is probably a reminder of how much of what we do professionally can be done by these machines already,” Schlott explained.

When you are just starting out, trying to find an “AI-resistant” job feels like hitting a moving target. How do you choose a major, invest in a degree, or dedicate yourself to an entry-level profession when the very tasks you are training for are being automated at breakneck speed?

A Tale of Two Generations: Portfolios vs. Paychecks

Perhaps the most striking point Schlott makes is the economic disconnect between generations regarding AI.

For older generations who are nearing the end of their careers, AI is largely a net positive. They already have established savings, home equity, and 401(k)s. Right now, the AI boom is bolstering the stock market, meaning older generations are directly profiting from the technology’s rapid rise.

“It’s easy to say when you’re at the end of your career… you’re doing well in the stock market right now because you have your investments in place,” Schlott pointed out.

Conversely, Gen Z is entering the economy during a speculation bubble about a technology that directly threatens their ability to build that same financial security. They aren’t reaping the stock market rewards; they are just absorbing the job market risks.

Beyond the Screen: A Generation Relearning Connection

This anxiety about the future bleeds into other areas of Gen Z’s lives, including romantic relationships. In the same interview, Schlott touched on research by Daniel Cox of AEI, which suggests young people are struggling to form partnerships.

Schlott notes that many Gen Zers were raised in smaller families where they were treated as the “center of everything,” making the fundamental compromises required for long-term relationships difficult. Coupled with the isolating effects of the internet, young people are dating less, having fewer formative teenage romances, and struggling to see the world as an “us” rather than a “me.”

The Call for Empathy

It is easy for older generations to look down on younger people, criticizing them for being overly anxious or lacking resilience. However, the unique cocktail of a radically shifting job market, unprecedented technological automation, and deep social isolation requires a new level of understanding.

As Schlott puts it, the hope is that older generations can look past their own booming retirement accounts and “be empathetic to why younger people might be feeling so anxious as they try to plot their future in such uncertain times.”

For Gen Z, being terrified of AI isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s just paying attention.