Latest news with #generationalChange
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
What My Son Taught Me About The Future Of Work
The next generation workforce in the age of AI courtsey Redd Francisco I asked my son, who is graduating from college in a few weeks, to join me on my podcast series (link here). It was a fun, and personal, conversation - but brought out a larger, broader insight: there is an entirely new generation of our future workforce coming in - and they grew up with AI. This is the graduating class of 2025. They approach generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Cursor - not just to complete assignments - but to prototype ideas, streamline workflows, and write code more efficiently. For them, these tools aren't novelties; they're extensions of how they learn and solve problems. They think differently, work differently, and expect more from the companies they're about to join. Reflecting on the conversation, it's obvious that their technology stack looks very different from ours; the applications they use reflect the evolving landscape of personal productivity, shaping how the next generation will operate in the workplace. What is also striking is their agility with AI - they don't get attached to a single tool or platform for life, instead, thrive in a dynamic environment where continuous learning and iteration are the norm - constantly trying, testing and evolving to the next. This adaptability - the willingness to experiment, learn, and adjust - is a hallmark of this generation. And while they know not to blindly trust every AI-generated response, they also aren't discouraged by the occasional 'hallucinations.' Instead, they have learned to live with them, to work around them by truly understanding their own role as a human in the loop. It's a mindset that acknowledges both the promise and the limitations of AI - a balance that will be critical for organizations navigating this shift. This new generation workforce have grown up in an era where AI isn't just a concept—it's a daily companion. They enter the workforce with an intuitive grasp of how technology can enhance productivity and creativity. Tools like large language models, low-code platforms, and automated assistants are second nature to them. Their mindset isn't 'Will AI help me do my job?' - it's 'How can we use AI to make this process better, faster, and more impactful?' This creates a fascinating contrast with many in the existing workforce - while we've been debating the potential of AI and cautiously experimenting with its applications, this new workforce expects AI to be embedded, accessible, and essential. And that's not a gap to be feared - it's an opportunity to accelerate transformation. This influx of digitally fluent, AI-native talent is a real opportunity for organizations. It's a chance to rethink not just how we work - but how we lead, manage, and empower teams. The companies that will thrive aren't the ones trying to retrofit AI into legacy processes; it will be the ones willing to embrace new workflows, delegate more decision-making to automated systems, and create space for innovation at every level. And it isn't just about technology; this is about culture. It's about fostering an environment where fresh ideas are not just heard but celebrated, where employees can challenge norms and contribute to building smarter, more agile businesses. For those of us in leadership, this is a pivotal moment - the newest members of our workforce aren't waiting for permission to use AI, they're bringing it with them. The good news is this shift gives us a chance to leap forward, to move beyond incremental improvements and embrace true transformation. It challenges us to think bigger about what our companies can achieve when we empower people with the tools and the mindset to innovate. But more importantly, it's a call to honor the human spirit behind the technology - to empower people with the tools and culture they need to thrive. So as we welcome this new generation of our youngest workforce across our corporations, let's ask ourselves: Are we ready to match their expectations? And create workspaces that don't just accommodate AI but are built for it? Because the future isn't something we're waiting for. It's already here – and walking in through our doors with the now-graduating class of digitally-fluent talent that just happened to grow up with AI.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Garcia Joins Generational Fight Among House Democrats
Representative Robert Garcia of California told his colleagues on Thursday that he was running to become the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, intensifying a generational battle over a critical post at a time when younger members are agitating for more power. Mr. Garcia, 47, is not the only young lawmaker seeking the position, a prominent role that has been vacant since Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia died last week at the age of 75. Mr. Connolly stepped back from it last month as his cancer progressed. Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas, 44, who is the No. 2 Democrat on the committee, said on MSNBC earlier this week that she planned to seek the top post. She and Mr. Garcia will vie for the job against two more senior members: Representatives Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, 70, who had assumed Mr. Connolly's duties since he stepped aside; and Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, 76, who told colleagues in text messages in May that he wanted the position. Democrats plan to hold an internal election for the position on June 24. The contest is unfolding as the party reappraises its identity following painful electoral losses in November, including whether it is time for its older members to relinquish power to a younger generation. A book released this month has revived conversations over whether Democrats were too quick to shut down skepticism about former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s age and mental acuity as he ran for re-election. David Hogg, 25, a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, faced an internal firestorm after he announced he'd support an effort to oust older incumbents in favor of younger progressives. The ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee is one of the party's most visible opponents to Republicans and the Trump administration. The position has seen remarkable turnover; Mr. Connolly was the fourth person to hold it in six years, none of them younger than 60 years old. That is in keeping with Democrats' traditional approach to awarding powerful posts in Congress, where such decisions for decades were made almost entirely by seniority. Mr. Connolly's selection for the job last year appeared to be a rebuke to younger progressives who had argued the party needed fresh voices to lead their ranks on the panel during the second Trump administration. The Virginia Democrat, who was elected to the House in 2008, defeated Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the millennial media phenom who is one of the most visible and popular members of her party. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, subsequently left the Oversight Committee and said earlier this month that she would not pursue the post again, in part because of Democrats' emphasis on seniority. In the letter that Mr. Garcia sent to members formally announcing his bid, the second-term lawmaker tried to position himself as a bridge between more experienced members and the younger generation. Focusing on his time as mayor of Long Beach, Calif., he said that he 'showed that government can be both progressive and effective,' according to a copy of the letter obtained by The New York Times. Mr. Mfume, in text messages he sent to colleagues in May that were viewed by The Times, highlighted his '15 years of service in the House' — experience that he said would help 'aggressively push back against Trump's daily encroachment on congressional powers.'
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
DNC vice-chair David Hogg on Democratic party: ‘We need to dramatically change'
David Hogg believes the Democratic party not only needs better messengers – it needs stronger fighters. 'The base of the party, they just want us to do anything,' the 25-year-old Florida activist and Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice-chair said in an interview last week. 'They feel alone, they feel isolated, they feel unheard, and they feel like they're not being fought for.' Frustrated by what he sees as an entrenched establishment dominated by a culture of 'seniority politics', Hogg is urging Democrats to embrace growing calls for generational change. His pitch is competitive primaries, which he argues are a 'healthy' way to inject new energy into a party desperately seeking momentum after last year's demoralizing losses swept Democrats from power in Washington. Many Democrats – especially younger members of the party, such as Hogg – are urging their leaders to adopt a more combative posture toward Donald Trump, emboldened by a building resistance to the president's brazen defiance of constitutional norms. Yet support for the party has fallen to record-lows. A recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that nearly 70% of Americans view the Democratic party as out of touch 'with the concerns of most people' – a higher share than said the same of either Trump or the Republican party. 'We need to dramatically change,' Hogg said. 'The fact that we spent $2bn last election cycle and still lost to a convicted felon who attempted to overthrow our government – and despite the fact that he has crashed our economy, despite the fact that he has disappeared people – our approvals remain where they are is a serious indictment of our party.' Hogg, who rose to prominence as a gun-control activist after surviving the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was elected in February as one of five officials – and the first gen-Z member – to serve as vice-chair of the DNC. As part of his drive to reform the party, Hogg has announced plans to spend millions of dollars to unseat what he calls 'asleep at the wheel' Democrats in safely blue districts through Leaders We Deserve, a separate political organization that he founded and leads. Few Democrats disagree with the need for change. Top Democrats have described their party's brand as 'toxic' while officials and strategists routinely lament that voters know what – or who – they are against, but not what they are for. But Hogg's incumbent-challenging project has been met with fierce internal opposition. The DNC chair Ken Martin has said party officials should not intervene in primary elections and has endorsed a rule change that would effectively force Hogg to choose between his position as a vice-chair of the party and his role at Leaders We Deserve. 'We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time,' Martin said last month. Tensions rose further this week when a DNC subcommittee recommended the party invalidate a vote that elevated Hogg and a second vice-chair, Malcolm Kenyatta, ruling that the election had not followed proper parliamentary procedure. If approved by the full voting body of the DNC, the election for their vice-chair roles would be re-administered. Kenyatta has vented frustration over the decision and the media attention focused on Hogg, writing on X: 'This story is complex and I'm frustrated– but it's not about [Hogg]. Even though he clearly wants it to be.' In a statement after the vote, Hogg acknowledged that the ruling was based on procedural matters, but said it was 'impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party, which loomed large over this vote'. He added: 'I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us.' Much of Hogg's activism since co-founding March for Our Lives as a high school student has been centered around engaging and mobilizing young people – a voting bloc that shifted away from the Democratic party in 2024. 'What I'm really worried about is my generation losing faith in democracy,' he said. The Democrat describes a generation that played by the rules, only to learn the game was rigged. They pursued higher education, avoided drugs and underage drinking, lowered teen pregnancy rates, voted, often in record numbers, and yet they are saddled with student loan debt, struggling to afford rent, and deeply disillusioned with a political system that has failed to deliver economic fairness or financial security. 'We still find ourselves fucked, frankly,' he said. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Now, Hogg argues, is the moment for the party to act with urgency – and accountability, after leading Democrats brushed aside voter concerns about Joe Biden's age and ability to run for a second term. 'People felt like we were not honest with them,' he said. 'When they told us the president was too old. We said: 'No, he's not.' And then at the last second: 'Yes, he is.' And then when they told us prices were too high, we said: 'No, they aren't. Look at this graph.'' 'It doesn't matter what the data says if that is not what people feel,' he added. 'What you have to respond to is what people feel and explain what you're doing today.' The first few weeks of Trump's second term exposed a 'big gulf' between Democratic leaders and their base, Hogg said. Congressional Democrats initially appeared paralyzed in the minority, even as their constituents begged them to put up more of a fight. There are notable exceptions, Hogg says, pointing to Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, as well as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Maxwell Frost of Florida, as leaders fighting for progressive change. He also praised Martin's 'organizing everywhere' tour, which seeks to expand the party's reach beyond the traditional battlegrounds. To Hogg, primaries offer an opportunity to elevate the next wave of Democrats prepared to 'meet the moment'. While his group, Leaders We Deserve, supports young, progressive candidates, Hogg insists political 'effectiveness' is not a matter of age or ideology. 'There are young people who suck. There are old people who suck,' he said, adding: 'Nobody's entitled to their position of power. We live in a democracy, at least for now.' Hogg says he's being strategic with his primary plans – employing a 'scalpel' rather than an 'ax' to target only safe blue seats and not the handful of swing districts that will determine the balance of power in Congress next year. Several House Democrats are already are facing primary challengers and more are expected, especially as new revelations about Biden's decline in office fuel calls for the 70- and 80-year-olds at the top of the party to step aside. On Thursday, Hogg's group announced its first endorsement of the cycle – backing liberal state senator Robert Peters in the open race for Illinois' second congressional district. The group has identified several incumbents to challenge, but Hogg has previously said he is waiting to see whether any choose to retire. 'The reason why somebody should be in Congress is whether or not they're the best person to serve their constituents,' he said. 'If they are, they shouldn't be afraid of a primary challenge.' As the president's stunning power grabs prompt warnings of creeping authoritarianism, Hogg believes that what matters now 'more than anything' is whether a candidate grasps the stakes. 'People just want to see that we are trying to fight back and that we're listening to them,' he said. Democrats, he continued, must be careful not to reflexively fight to preserve American institutions as they are, but instead to fight to reform them. Among the policies he wants to see Democrats champion: banning congressional stock trading and prohibiting presidents from owning cryptocurrency. One of the institutions most in need of reform is the healthcare system, he said, drawing on his own family's struggle to care for his dying father, a navy veteran and retired FBI agent who suffered from early onset Parkinson's disease. In the final months of his life, even with Veterans Affairs benefits, their family faced $19,000 a month in medical costs for at-home care. 'The only reason we didn't go bankrupt is because he didn't live long enough for that to happen,' Hogg said, a tragedy he said was 'not unique' to his family. It is why he believes deeply that Democrats need more leaders willing to fight. 'We have to show people how we are providing an alternative vision for the future of our country that is not simply talking about what we are not,' he said, 'but by talking about what we are.'
