A new survey has revealed worrying trends regarding how midcareer workers are using and experiencing AI in the workplace.

Generation, a nonprofit network focused on supporting economic mobility, conducted a survey of over 2,600 employees aged 45 and older across Europe, the UK, and the US, alongside over 1,400 employers, with the results indicating that ageism is becoming a concern in roles involving the use of AI.

The new survey found employers generally have a preference for younger candidates for these positions, with 90% of US hiring managers more likely to consider candidates under age 35 for AI-related roles. 

In Europe the gap was almost as wide, with only 33% likely to consider older candidates, but 86% more likely to consider younger people.

Of those surveyed, 15% of workers over age 45 report using generative AI tools at work, with the majority being self-taught “power users,” who rely on these tools multiple times a week, if not daily, to perform a range of activities.

Those using AI tools report positive impacts on their work. More than half report improvements in quality, productivity, and decision-making, and a substantial percentage say AI makes their jobs more enjoyable, with 35% of US workers and 58% of European workers citing increased job satisfaction due to AI tools.

The positive impact of AI is being widely recognised, with nearly half of US hiring managers (47%) and 29% of European employers now providing AI tools to their workforce, and 90% offering some form of training for workers using AI. 

However, older employees without experience of AI show mixed interest in developing their skills. Among workers over 45 who aren’t currently using AI tools, only 24% in the U.S. and 36% in Europe expressed a desire to learn. Around a quarter were neutral or unsure, while nearly a third of non-users in the U.S. and 17% in Europe had no interest in AI at all.

Generation suggests that this gap highlights the need for employers to marry the existing skills of older and midcareer workers with AI, rather than forcing them to learn completely new skills. 

Dr. Mona Mourshed, CEO of Generation, said: “While AI has the potential to dramatically alter job tasks and roles, it will be most transformative when its power is merged with human expertise. 

“This data underscores the importance of continuing to combat ageism, and points to an opportunity for us to take a more nuanced view in the AI-infused workplace of how to leverage the unique assets that workers of different ages and experience levels bring to the table.”

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There are concerns that the emergence of AI could create a divide within the workforce. A recent study from Robert Half, the international recruitment firm, highlighted the vulnerability of older workers to displacement due to AI advancements, with only 19% of individuals over age 55 actively seeking AI-related training.

With a 323% increase in demand for AI technical talent over the last eight years, there are huge opportunities for firms to invest in the reskilling of employees, with major companies including Cisco, Microsoft, and Google, committed to skills development and digital training programs that will impact over 95 million individuals around the world over the next decade.