Just a few years into working, Gen Z is already the most anxious generation about AI derailing their retirement—51% fear it will cut their nest egg

Gen Z is still early in its working life, but it is already the most anxious generation about what AI could do to its retirement. In a new TIAA survey on “Retirement In the Age of AI and GLP-1s,” 51% of Gen Z said AI threatens their ability to save for retirement, 11 points above the national average.

The worry is not abstract. Forty-two percent of Gen Z said they are “extremely” or “very” concerned that AI could disrupt their career or reduce their earning potential before they retire. That compares with 33% of millennials and 28% of Gen X and boomers. Business leaders have been openly warning that AI will bring disruption and job losses, so the anxiety is not hard to understand.

TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett has been blunt about the pressure young workers face. She told Florida A&M graduates earlier this year that AI is reshaping industries at a pace that is “breathtaking,” and that jobs once seen as dependable may not stay that way. The message is simple: adapt or risk falling behind.

There is another layer to the fear, and it has nothing to do with layoffs. AI is often sold as a force that could speed up scientific progress and help people live longer, healthier lives. That sounds great until retirement math enters the chat. If people live longer, their savings have to last longer too, and Gen Z seems very aware of that trap.

Some 59% of Gen Z said they worry they will withdraw too much from retirement savings and run out of money before they die. Another 47% said traditional retirement planning does not adequately account for longer lifespans. The basic answer, Duckett argues, is to start early. Her line is blunt: “first job, first dollar.” Max out, use the match, keep a rainy day fund, then invest.