Gen Z's AI Advantage: Young People Are Harnessing AI to Stand Out

Kiara Nirghin, a Stanford technologist and Gen Z entrepreneur, has expressed a differing view on the growing use of AI among young people, suggesting that their comfort with artificial intelligence is an asset rather than a liability. Nirghin, who co-founded Chima, a U.S.-based applied AI research lab, made her comments at the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. According to Nirghin, young entrepreneurs are not adopting AI, but rather growing up fluent in AI, which sets them apart from their older peers. "We're not just adopting AI, we're growing up fluent in AI," Nirghin said. "AI fundamentally changes how you write, how you take tests, and how you apply to jobs or different applications - because it's not from the ground up. It's actually being able to do that with different models or agents, side by side." Nirghin's perspective on AI fluency is rooted in her experience as a young entrepreneur. She explained that her generation sees coding as something to be done alongside AI agents, rather than done alone and from scratch. This approach allows them to pioneer use cases and applications of AI that have yet to be unlocked. "AI fluency sets Gen Z individuals apart from their older peers, allowing them to pioneer use cases and applications of AI that have yet to be unlocked," Nirghin said. The rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT has brought on complaints that students and young employees rely too much on AI to do everything from completing homework to writing emails. However, experts like Nirghin argue that this is not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, it represents a fundamental shift in how young people interact with technology and approach problem-solving. In recent years, there has been growing concern about the impact of AI on critical thinking abilities. Some experts have argued that over-reliance on AI can erode our ability to think critically and solve problems independently. However, Nirghin suggests that AI fluency is not a replacement for human skills, but rather a complement to them. The implications of AI fluency for society are far-reaching. As more young people grow up with AI as a normal part of their lives, it is likely to have a significant impact on the way we work, learn, and interact with each other. Nirghin's comments at the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of AI in society and the potential benefits of AI fluency for young people. As the use of AI continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Nirghin's perspective on AI fluency plays out in practice. Will her generation's comfort with AI lead to new innovations and applications, or will it exacerbate existing concerns about the impact of technology on society? Only time will tell.