Baby Boomers, GenX, Millennials and GenZ are all AI beneficiaries

ENDEAVOR **media[27114]**Reels accessed from Facebook enable viewers, myself included, to listen to highly eloquent honor graduates deliver valedictory speeches that truly inspire and edify. They share inspiring stories on how they pulled up bootstraps as they struggled against awesome challenges — making ends meet as working students, or coping with the severe limitations imposed by the pandemic.Yet, so many of them graduated with honors. To illustrate, in last week’s University of the Philippines graduation at its main campus in Diliman, a total of 2,369 students graduated with Latin honors. This includes 241 summa cum laude graduates, 1,143 magna cum laude graduates, and 985 cum laude graduates, or a total of approximately 61 percent Latin honor graduates.For our Baby Boomer generation, this is somewhat baffling, yet we cannot help but concede, even admire today’s youthful achievers. College education is a crucible, an experience characterized by severe trial, of a confluence of variables eventually melding and converging toward the creation of something new.My esteemed friend and former colleague in the AIM faculty, former UP President and Trade Secretary Alfredo ‘Fred’ Pascual, suggests an empirical study on AI, which he refers to as augmented intelligence, to validate his hypothesis that the extensive use of digital tools enables higher levels of achievement by today’s college students.Inexorably, technological advances like AI have accelerated the pace of progress exponentially and faster than aging seniors and mere mortals find difficult to comprehend. Rather than complain or disdain, would it not be more beneficial if we gladly imbibe or absorb new knowledge, and tap into these as fresh sources of creative energy?Indeed, graduating from college is not the end-all or be-all.It is an important episode in one’s march toward adulthood. It ushers in a new era of expanded responsibility, of weaning oneself from the comforts of home and the security provided by parental guidance and financial support. It is when we get our first job, our first paycheck. We develop new friendships with officemates and co-workers, bosses and supervisors, clients and suppliers.Looking back at my Baby Boomer days, I realize how greatly indebted I am to my first boss, the late lawyer and Court of Appeals Justice Wenceslao ‘Willy’ Agnir, Jr. He gave me my first job after graduation at what was then the Far East Bank and Trust Company whose head office is a stone’s throw away from my present place of work, the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, along Muralla Street in Intramuros.He enabled me to enter new venues of opportunity: an MBA education at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), membership in Rotary, the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) — and all of these began when he hired me to serve as editor of the bank publication. My first-job experience honed my writing skills and eventually enabled me to become an editor. Today, I am editor-in-chief, too, of the Philippine Rotary Magazine.And yes, along the way, not too long ago, I served, too, as Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office under President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III.Focusing anew on today’s fresh graduates impels us to identify and distinguish the nuances of our Baby Boomer generation with those of our successors, the Millennials, GenX and GenZ.My ever-reliable Google search yielded the following results:Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z each have distinct characteristics. Baby Boomers are known for their optimism, work ethic, and strong belief in teamwork. Gen Xers are characterized by their pragmatism, independence, and adaptability. Millennials, often called digital natives, are known for their comfort with technology, desire for work-life balance, and focus on social impact.Baby Boomers are optimistic and competitive. They generally hold a positive outlook and strive for achievement, prioritizing work and dedicating themselves to their careers. They are also team-oriented, valuing collaboration and working together to achieve common goals.Generation X is pragmatic and independent. They are known for their resourcefulness and self-reliance. As they grew up in a period of rapid change, they are adaptable and flexible, and are comfortable with new technologies and situations. Yet, they are also skeptical and cautious: They may be more hesitant about change and prefer to stick with what they know. They also emphasize work-life balance; they seek a balance between their professional and personal lives.Millennials are digital natives who grew up with the internet and are comfortable with technology and social media. Being civic-minded, they gravitate toward social and environmental causes and are interested in making a positive impact. As they are achievement-oriented, too, they are motivated to succeed and advance in their careers. They appreciate frequent feedback and enjoy working in teams. Prioritizing flexibility, they aspire to achieve work-life integration.Gen Z, generally those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, are characterized by their digital fluency, pragmatic approach to life, strong sense of social consciousness, and desire for authenticity and inclusivity. They are often described as the first generation of true digital natives, having grown up with the internet and smartphones as integral parts of their lives.Looking back, what have I learned?Learning to ask the right questions is more important than thinking or believing that one knows the right answers. As pointed out by Melito ‘Mel’ Salazar, my AIM faculty colleague who was also our Business Policy professor, the answers may change over time, but an inquisitive mind always discovers new knowledge.Through more than five decades of my professional career, I have realized that indeed, pathways of focused inquiry lead to new knowledge that illuminates and fulfills our quest to know and understand our world and develop lasting bonds of friendship.Comments may be sent to sonnycoloma@gmail.com