It feels like every conversation eventually comes back to AI.
Leaders are wondering how it will impact their workforce. Employees are wondering how it will impact their careers. Parents are wondering what jobs will even exist for their children. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, organizations are trying to figure out how to keep people engaged, productive, and prepared for what’s next.
And while there’s plenty of debate about the technology itself, we *still* aren’t spending enough time talking about the “people side” of this shift. Every major workplace change creates opportunities, blind spots, resistance, confusion, and new skill gaps. AI is no different.
Right now, most organizations are looking at AI in some form or fashion: Some are trying to improve efficiency, some are trying to do more with leaner teams, some are trying to create policies before their employees get too far ahead of them… And some are just now realizing they need to train their people on what AI is, how to use it, and where the risks may be.
Not every organization is at the same level. Larger companies with more resources may have been preparing for this for years, while smaller organizations are trying to catch up quickly. Some employees are already using AI daily. Others have barely touched it. This is a real gap that matters and will likely get wider.
It’s a dangerous time when people inside the same organization have very different levels of AI knowledge, confidence, and comfort. This is where change management becomes critical. You cannot simply introduce a new tool, send a policy, host one training, and expect everyone to adapt at the same pace.
As generational experts, it’s no surprise that we see a natural generational component to this conversation. Different generations are approaching AI through different experiences, expectations, and concerns. AI is also changing early-career roles, creating new gaps in both technical and human skills—and at the same time, it’s making experienced professionals feel like the rules of the game were changed overnight. At the same time, it is impacting how people think, solve problems, and make decisions across every age group.
In this blog, we’re going to look at why this matters, what our data suggests, and how organizations can stay ahead of it. Because if we don’t talk about the people side of AI, we risk creating a workforce that has access to powerful tools but lacks the training, trust, and development needed to use them well.
How Different Generations Are Approaching AI
One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is that younger generations automatically love AI, while older generations resist it.
Our data and broader workforce research suggest something more nuanced.
Gen Z is often comfortable experimenting with new technology, but many are also worried about how AI may impact future career opportunities. (We wrote an in-depth blog about this a couple months ago—read it here.) Millennials tend to be active users of AI tools, often integrating them into both work and daily life. Gen X is balancing curiosity with caution, looking for practical applications while weighing potential risks. Baby Boomers are often more engaged than people assume, especially when AI helps improve productivity or solve real business challenges.
It would be easy to divide these differing reactions by age—but that would be reductive. In reality, age is just a symptom of their differing experiences, lifetime exposures, training, and trust levels. And that is exactly why organizations need to be careful not to make assumptions. A younger employee may not automatically feel confident using AI at work. A more experienced employee may not be resistant to AI; they may simply want clarity around expectations, ethics, accuracy, and how it will affect their role.
This is where training matters. People need more than access to tools. They need shared language, clear guardrails, practical examples, and space to ask questions without feeling behind.
How to Meet the AI Moment
As much as this moment feels overwhelming, there are immediate action steps you can take to instill training and trust in your organization’s approach to AI. Here are our team’s recommendations for handling it:
- Get curious about your team’s stances on and experiences with AI. As we said earlier, generations can lead to generalizations, but everyone has had different experiences with AI—and that impacts how they perceive its use in the workplace. Start conversations about it, and get familiar with your team’s feelings on (and skill levels with) AI. In some cases, your team’s skills are going to change just as quickly as the tools are changing, so regular pulse checks are essential for success.
- Communication should be clearer than ever. How should AI be used in emails, reports, or client work? Set clear standards so your teams aren’t guessing. This one is important. Telling your team to “leverage AI” with no clear blueprint is a recipe for resentment, frustration, and de-motivation.
- Rethink your team’s professional development essentials. If your professional development modules, training, and mentorship programs haven’t changed in the past five years, then now is the time to refresh them. Your professional development training has to close whatever gaps you’re seeing, and it’s very likely that AI training is needed to do that.
- AI tools need human training. If AI has taught us anything, it’s that the tools will continue to change. However, judgement is a critical skill that needs to be reinforced no matter what.
- Integrate AI training into career pathways. This one is essential for long-term retention! And while we’re at it, don’t forget to acknowledge that career pathways will look different in the future (i.e., there will probably be more lateral moves than vertical). Simple ways to get started on this? Create early career development like rotational learning programs, shadowing senior leaders, and structured mentoring.
It’s easy to feel “AI fatigue” (even we feel it sometimes), and the last thing you want to do is talk about it more. But trust us: if you ensure that the times you bring up AI with your team are following quality over quantity—meaning, you’re talking about it to instill trust, strong and relevant training, and for the benefit of your team’s wellbeing… it just might be a welcome conversation.
Did you like this week’s post? Then you might like these posts below.
Gen Z and AI: Where They Stand + Why It Might Surprise You
The 2026 Workforce Trends Playbook
The Shifting Conversation Around Burnout: A Reflection on the 2026 Winter Olympics
What’s Next?
If your team is navigating generational friction, stalled performance, or culture misalignment—it’s time to take action.
At GPS, we’re on a mission to help organizations unlock clarity, communication, and performance across every generation. And we don’t just talk about results—we deliver them in 90 days or less.
Let’s bring out the best in your people.
Connect with us today and start driving results that last.
