This may be the case according to an article in australianmanufacturing.com. It seems as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in the workplace older workers can be overlooked for roles that utilise it.
The findings stem from a report and research conducted by Generation, a global employment non-profit organisation with support from Google.org and The SCAN Foundation.
The report features insights gathered from over 4,000 employees worldwide and identified some key characteristics that employers should be aware of.
So what did this report identify?
The report highlighted a concerning trend in the recruitment of mid-level and older workers when it came to jobs that interfaced with AI.
For these kind of roles employers had a clear bias towards hiring younger candidates despite being completely satisfied with the performance of older people within their existing workforce.
As AI is increasingly playing a larger part in many job descriptions this is a very concerning trend. In the US for instance, 90% of hiring managers are inclined to consider applicants under 35. As developed nations are undergoing a demographic shift towards older people, using age based criteria probably needs to be revised.
Generation concluded that is underscored the importance of combating ageism in the workplace. Anika Heavener from the SCAN Foundation emphasised the need for training and support to harness the skills and experience of older workers in leveraging the potential of AI resources.
Follow the link that includes more detailed data and interpretation of the results.