<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/hub_generated/template_assets/1/202012046126/1765905896155/template_footer-core-non-critical.min.css">

Creators Column

Gen Z is using AI to take control of their careers — from side hustles to self-discovery [+ data]

Gen Z is using AI to own their careers and chart their paths forward. Here are the trends to know.

Valerie's AI Prompt Pack for Career Acceleration

In just a few months, I went from barely using AI to building a personal brand strategy that drove over 3 million impressions on LinkedIn, landing paid partnerships, and consulting with other founders. And, I did it with the help of ChatGPT.

That matters because I’m not a technical expert. I’m just a Gen Z marketer who figured out how to make AI work for me.

What started as a tool to help me brainstorm quickly became a career accelerator. It changed how I work, how I show up, and how I earn.

I’m not alone. Gen Z is uniquely positioned to adopt AI creatively and strategically, not just for productivity, but to shape our careers, build our brands, and take ownership of our futures. This is how it’s actually happening, backed by new data.

Valerie Chapman has rapidly carved out a prominent space as a content creator and thought leader, sitting at the intersection of personal branding, AI, and business development. Valerie started her career as a model, building a following on Instagram, before pivoting to the B2B space. Leveraging AI as a core component of her strategy, Valerie has built a LinkedIn presence that has reached over 140 million impressions. Today she is a co-founder and CMO of INFRM.

Who is Valerie Chapman?

AI and My Career Journey

I didn’t start using ChatGPT until January 2024. I had heard about it back when it launched in late 2022 — my partner at the time was using it to learn how to code — but I assumed it was a tool for engineers, not marketers. So, I ignored it for almost two years.

That changed when I started a new job and was told, “You should build a personal brand.” I had no idea where to start. I needed a tool to help me brainstorm, get organized, and make a plan. That’s when I opened ChatGPT for the first time.

Once I began combining AI with my marketing and business development instincts, the results were immediate. I used ChatGPT to map out a seven-page personal brand strategy. Then, I actually followed it. Within a few months, my content had generated more than 3 million impressions on LinkedIn.

That was the turning point for me. I went from someone who didn’t use AI at all to someone asking, “How do I get every female founder I know using this tool?” Because if it worked for me, it could absolutely work for others in my network who want to build something of their own.Today, I’m a full-time creator, and AI has become central to how I run my business. 

It helps me manage content and respond to emails. I can save time for things that matter, like planning community events for a women’s nonprofit I volunteer with in New York. Just last month, we used AI to brainstorm a concept for an event, and a few weeks later, there were over 50 women in the room. Without these tools, that event might never have happened.

Key Trends: How Gen Z Is Using AI

how Gen Z feels about AI

1. High usage, low confidence

More than 50% of Gen Z respondents in a recent HubSpot survey say they use AI several times a week. 

That tracks with what I’m seeing. Our generation is clearly embracing AI across different areas of life. But when asked how they felt about AI’s broader role in society, the responses were split: 25% said they were excited, 22% were fearful, and 29% felt a mix of both.

That disconnect is part of a larger problem: The perception of AI has become polarized. People either think it’s going to make you a millionaire or take your job, creating a massive education gap.

The truth is, “AI” is just a broad term. Underneath it are hundreds of tools built for different tasks, some for creative work, some for admin, some for research. But without a clear understanding of how to use them, many people stay stuck on the sidelines.

how Gen Z feels about AI and their careers

If someone is hesitant, I’d suggest experimenting. At the simplest level, filmmakers should be using tools like Eleven Labs, a generative voice tool. A lawyer may not use AI daily, but they should check Harvey, a professional services AI, just to see what’s happening in their market.

You can look at it like a social experiment. Don’t focus on the hysteria around data or fear. Instead, ask, “What can I learn? What market research can I take away for my own life?” I may or may not like the tool, but at least I’ll know more than I did yesterday.

Two

Demand for Ethical and Diverse AI

  • demand for ethical and diverse AI

    One thing Gen Z understands instinctively: Who builds the tool shapes how it works.

    In our survey, 47% of Gen Z respondents said it’s important that AI is built by, and for, diverse voices.

    AI is one of the most important technologies we’ve seen emerge, and historically, it’s been built mostly by men. We don’t want to keep repeating that pattern.

     

     

     

  • 5-Aug-18-2025-09-05-23-7700-PM

    AI’s output is based on what it’s given. Having more women and more diverse cultures in the room leads to stronger output. But, Gen Z has also grown up online. We’re fluent in different cultures, perspectives, and ways of thinking. We’re quick to call out systems that feel exclusionary or tone-deaf.

    And it’s not just about the builders. On the consumer side, AI needs to be designed for more than just an elite, highly educated audience. Someone without a college degree might still be a brilliant entrepreneur. They should be able to use these tools to grow their business, too.

    When it comes to trust, it’s about understanding that diverse data equals a more inclusive user experience. Trust needs to be earned. It’s not something younger generations assume by default.

How Gen Z workers use AI
Billy Ruecker
GenzQuotes-3
GenzQuotes-4
GenzQuotes-5
GenzQuotes-6
GenzQuotes-7
GenzQuotes-8
GenzQuotes-9
GenzQuotes-10
GenzQuotes-11
GenzQuotes-12
GenzQuotes-13

Three

AI as a Career Accelerator

1-Aug-18-2025-09-05-59-9858-PM

AI has been one of the most transformative tools in my career so far. It helped me build my personal brand, pitch myself for sponsorships, and ultimately gave me the confidence to go out on my own. And, I’m not the only one.

This is where Gen Z as a whole is experimenting, too. Of respondents, 58% say they use AI for online communication, 35% use it for job search assistance, and 34% use it for side projects. It truly can be the bridge to your dream career.

4-Aug-18-2025-09-07-20-6208-PM

When it comes to strategy, you can’t just post into the ether on LinkedIn. You have to position yourself as a subject matter expert. AI can help you by taking one big idea and generating ten different ways to say it. Then, it can generate ten scripts for you to work with. Without AI, that would take a lot longer.

It’s also how I landed brand partnerships. My collaboration with HubSpot, for example, started with an outbound pitch, where I used AI to help draft and shape the message.

When I was just getting started, I didn’t have all the infrastructure I needed to be a full-time creator. I had to use AI to build my business. Now, I use AI to help female founders the same way I helped myself, building research reports, crafting positioning, and creating personal brand strategies from scratch.

 For Gen Z, AI is helping close the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

Hubspot_080425_Motion Graphic_4
2-Aug-18-2025-09-10-04-0659-PM
8-Aug-18-2025-09-10-31-4697-PM

Four

AI for Self-Improvement

7-Aug-18-2025-09-07-03-8716-PM

Beyond productivity at work, 28% of Gen Z use AI daily for personal use and to understand ourselves better. That includes everything from journaling and reflection to decision-making support and pep talks.

We grew up with social media, which also means we grew up with comparison, self-doubt, and pressure to perform. AI gives us a private space to sort through all of that. You can ask it for validation, talk through a tough situation, or debrief a therapy session. It’s not a substitute for real support, but it is a helpful tool for reflection and self-awareness.

I use it constantly. Whether I’m thinking through a brand partnership or trying to decide how to respond to a message, I’ll run it through ChatGPT. One time, I asked it to evaluate a brand deal, and it told me I should charge $5,000 more than I was planning to!

Of course, there are limitations. Sometimes it acts like a yes-man, and bias in training data is still a concern. But on the whole, AI is helping Gen Z build confidence, not just in what we do, but in how we make decisions and advocate for ourselves.

 

5. Gen Z’s career-focused, AI wish list 

There’s a lot of pressure on Gen Z to build wealth, buy homes, and hit traditional milestones, often without a clear path to get there. Many of us are still in survival mode, navigating a tough job market and constant economic shifts. So, it makes sense that when we think about AI, we’re looking for tools that help us grow careers and create financial stability.

In our survey, Gen Z respondents made it clear: They want AI that helps them build. That means tools that support personal branding, income generation, and long-term professional growth.

 We’ve seen how quickly the internet can open doors, and we’re willing to be early adopters. What excites me most is the possibility that AI can give people more autonomy — the chance to work for themselves, start side hustles, or turn creative ideas into income.

That’s why I believe companies should be paying close attention. As more consumer AI products hit the market, enterprise tools need to follow to support them. 

For example, many people I know want to post on LinkedIn but feel limited by corporate policies or fear of saying the wrong thing. If employers provided AI tools that help employees express themselves authentically and safely, everyone benefits.

This generation doesn’t want to play it safe. We want tools that help us bet on ourselves.