For Jeff Bezos, who oversees this $2.6 trillion tech giant Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, the impact of AI on young people is not only a business issue but also carries a personal dimension. Jassy has two children from Generation Z, aged 25 and 22 respectively, who are also experiencing this AI transformation that is reshaping education and the workplace.
Jassy's advice to young people, including his own children, is not about avoiding AI. However, this 58-year-old executive also reminds us not to let this technology replace the critical thinking and judgment that have long been crucial for success.
"The advice I give to young people is also what I tell my own children: you can't escape it, nor can you hope it will disappear," Jassy said last week on the program "The a16z Show." "It will have an extremely profound impact on every experience in your life, and no matter what you try to use in your work, it will allow you to create in ways that we couldn't do in the past."
Jassy took over from Jeff Bezos as Amazon's CEO in 2021, with a salary of $365,000 last year, and led the company to top the Fortune 500 list.
He stated that embracing AI is not only aimed at those who are aspiring to work in the tech industry. Jassy encourages young people from all walks of life to learn how to use this technology and to explore what it can do.
"You need to understand it, educate yourself, and use it extensively. Try to do things that go beyond your comfort zone," Jassy added, "Neither of my children are developers, but they have already built applications using AI. Make it a core part of your daily operations and the tools you use for work."
AI can eliminate tedious tasks, but Jassy warns that it's easy to tell if one relies too heavily on it when writing.
Harvard Business School alumnus Jassy uses the business school as an example to illustrate how AI can eliminate those tedious preliminary tasks.
“Often, there’s a group of people who don’t do their homework at all—they don’t read materials, don’t do research, and don’t take notes, but all of that will disappear with the help of AI,” said Jassy. “AI will help everyone get to a higher starting point faster.”
However, although AI can help people get started more quickly, Jassy also warns against over-reliance on this technology. Especially in writing, he says that the content generated by AI can easily seem “a bit off” because the various parts do not connect naturally.
"I still believe that you need human judgment, creativity, inventiveness, and a spirit of experimentation, as well as the ability to think about how all these elements come together to ultimately create amazing experiences and businesses," said Jassy.
"I think you should use these tools, as they will be a huge help, but I still believe that critical reasoning and thinking are very important in everything we do."
Amazon rejected the comment request from Fortune.
Critical thinking is one of the most highly valued skills among business leaders.
Jassy is not the only one who encourages young people to find a balance between embracing technology and preventing technology from replacing independent thinking.
Billionaire, Shark Tank star, and founder of the KIND energy bar, Daniel Lubetzky, stated that critical thinking will be increasingly valued in various workplaces.
"Critical thinkers are in high demand, and the demand will only increase. AI does exist, but it doesn't possess the creativity that humans have," Lubetzky told Fortune last year, "If young people can follow their curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity, then you will win."
For this reason, he said that Generation Z should focus on learning history and philosophy, and question any and all assumptions.
“Always ask why, then dig deeper one more layer, and ask again. Keep asking until you reach the source. Why? Why? Why? Why?” he said, “If you do this, you will cultivate a type of thinking that will enable you to surpass anyone else, and you will also be more valuable in the workplace.”
Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman also emphasizes that young employees need to develop skills that will help them adapt to the changing nature of work brought about by AI.
"You'll want to be creative," Garman said to CNBC last year, "You'll want to be adept at critical thinking. You'll also want to remain flexible."
