Generation Z uses AI to miss meetings, get promotions and raises, says research

Gen Z is quietly rewriting the rules at work by allowing artificial intelligence to join their meetings. A study this month by Software Finder, a software selection platform and database, revealed that three in ten respondents admitted to missing at least one meeting, relying on AI to take notes.

The survey also found that 19% of full-time respondents use AI tools to automatically generate meeting notes. The strategy is paying off for some: According to research, employees who regularly use AI to take meeting notes are 28% more likely to be promoted, compared to 15% for others, and earn nearly $20,000 more annually.

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However, the tools don’t seem to be working that well. Among those who said they missed meetings and relied on AI notes, 41% said they missed important context in the meeting that was not captured by the software.

While some across all employee groups reported using AI to take notes, the practice was more common among hybrid workers, with 26% saying they use the technology frequently, while 21% of remote workers and just 13% of in-person employees use the tools.

Technology and software workers were the most likely to use AI frequently, with 32% of respondents indicating they do, while government employees had the lowest reported use, at just 12%.

From a business point of view, the scenario is multifaceted. Companies that implement AI note-taking solutions report that professionals gain an average of five hours a week that were previously spent on manual documentation — about 250 hours per year per employee — according to research from TechBullion, a financial technology media company.

Meeting attendance metrics also improve, the researchers found: Meeting attendance—asking questions and engaging in discussion—increases by 40% when note-taking is delegated to AI, and decision-making cycles speed up.

Broader research shows that younger workers are adopting AI in unprecedented numbers, with 93% of Gen Z workers reporting using two or more AI tools weekly, according to a 2024 Google Workspace survey.

Uncertainty amid earnings

Yet amid the gains, there is growing unrest. Many fear that the same tools that are boosting their careers today could be undermining their job security tomorrow.

A D2L survey last year found that 52% of Gen Z respondents expressed concern about being replaced by someone with more advanced AI skills, compared to just 33% of Gen X workers.

Additionally, a 2024 Deutsche Bank survey found that 24% of workers ages 18 to 34 rated their concern about job loss at 8 or higher on a scale of 10, compared to just 10% among those ages 55 and older.

Their bosses seem to agree: Business leaders identify Gen Z as the second most vulnerable generation to AI-driven job displacement, behind only millennials.

Ultimately, even as these young professionals reap the rewards—better visibility, higher salaries, smoother workflows—they also admit to being uneasy about what automation might mean for their long-term career value and job security.