Four in 10 Generation Z men admit they have passed off artificial intelligence-generated work as their own, according to a new Resume Genius survey that maps both the productivity gains and ethical risks the youngest employees bring to the office.
What Happened: The poll of 1,000 full-time Gen Z workers found 60% say AI lets them finish tasks faster and with less effort, while 56% believe it lifts accuracy. Yet nearly one-third overall, and 40% of men versus 20% of women, conceded they have used ChatGPT or similar tools to create assignments they later submitted as original work.
AI reliance also exacts a personal toll. Roughly 37% feel more replaceable at work, and 23% say the technology already hurts their mental health. One in five respondents believe they could no longer perform their jobs if AI were banned, and 39% report burnout from the constant stream of updates.
Rule-bending goes beyond faking deliverables. Almost a third of Gen Z workers acknowledged breaking company policy with AI, including sharing internal data, while 39% automate tasks without managerial approval.
A separate Resume Genius research from March shows 46% of Gen Z hiring managers have already caught applicants cheating on skills tests with AI, highlighting what the firm calls a “growing integrity gap.”
Why It Matters: The findings echo another recent report that revealed Gen Z's enthusiasm for ChatGPT has some employers worried about carbon-copy résumés and cover letters. OpenAI chief Sam Altman recently predicted that software will soon handle many entry-level tasks, even as young workers are already treating AI as a work buddy.
Still, experts say the generation's tech fluency remains an asset if channeled responsibly. Mark Cuban advised Gen Z in March to "spend every waking minute learning AI" to stay employable in a shifting economy.
Yet Resume Genius career strategist Eva Chan warns in a statement shared with Retail Times that outsourcing judgment to algorithms could leave young professionals unable to make decisions without "AI hand-holding."
Labor economists note Gen Z already faces stagnant pay and recession fears, which may fuel shortcuts.
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