To understand how America’s workplaces are evolving, look to its classrooms and how educators are using artificial intelligence (AI). Higher education can serve as a bellwether for broader workforce trends, and the tools and mindsets adopted in learning environments today frequently shape the expectations and behaviors of tomorrow’s employees.

It’s worth considering what data about AI usage in higher ed is telling us about the future of America’s workforce. According to the annual report, Upskill with Purpose: Creating a Future-Ready Workforce, 64% of employees surveyed have access to AI tools, but a clear generational divide is emerging. Younger educators are embracing AI far more readily than their older peers, and this gap has implications that extend well beyond education. For learning and development (L&D) leaders, the message is clear: Build inclusive, adaptive AI training strategies that resonate across generations.

The key to success? Millennials.

Millennials: Bridging Generations in AI Adoption

According to D2L’s AI in Education survey, 88% of educators under 28 used generative AI in their teaching during the 2024-25 academic year, nearly twice the rate of Gen X (born 1965-1980) and four times that of baby boomers (born 1946-1964). Sixty-three percent of Gen Z (born 1997-2010) and millennial (born 1981-1996) educators believe AI is crucial to the future of learning, compared with just 48% of Gen X and boomer-aged educators.

This generational gap is also visible in the broader workforce. A Randstad survey found that 45% of Gen Z workers use generative AI on the job, compared with 34% of Gen X. Yet both generations share similar concerns: 47% of Gen Z and 35% of Gen X employees believe their companies are falling behind on AI adoption.

So, where do millennials fit in?

The Hinge Generation in Action

Millennials are in a unique position for organizations designing AI learning programs. Technically fluent, culturally adaptive and emotionally attuned, millennials are well-equipped to lead AI integration efforts. Despite common organizational barriers such as limited formal training, internal resistance, and lagging organizational strategy and governance, Randstad’s data shows that 50% of millennials use generative AI at work — slightly more than Gen Z. They’re also just as likely to say AI makes their jobs more interesting (52% vs. 53%).

Earlier this year, Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and Inflection AI, and Greg Beato, published author of more than 100 publications, introduced the concept of “AI superagency” — a state where individuals amplify their creativity, productivity and impact through AI.

McKinsey’s Superagency in the Workplace report emphasizes that achieving this state isn’t just about technology; it’s about empowering people, refining processes and strengthening governance. Superagency emerges when employees use AI as a true collaborator not just to automate tasks, but to enhance creativity, judgment and speed. The result is a more agile, empowered workforce where human creativity and machine intelligence work together to drive performance and innovation. Employees will drive AI transformation. Leaders must now step up to guide it.

3 Ways to Activate Millennial Superagents

As the data suggests, millennials may have a key strategic role to play as organizations incorporate AI into their workplaces. As a true hybrid generation, they bring a rare mix of both the Gen X and Gen Z worlds and experience to the table.

They are also increasingly in management positions, leading multi-generational teams on the front lines of this next technological transition. Millennials are frequently the ones crafting or overseeing learning and development plans, rolling out productivity tools and leading experimentation, all while understanding and empathizing with the anxieties and hopes about a future increasingly shaped by AI.

For L&D leaders, activating millennial superagency is a strategic lever for engagement, retention and innovation. Millennials, who now make up the largest share of the workforce, are eager to experiment with AI to streamline work and expand their impact. When supported through targeted learning and leadership programs, they become catalysts for organizational transformation.

Here are three ways organizations can activate millennial superagents:

1. Empower millennials as peer mentors and AI champions.

Millennials are uniquely positioned to serve as internal mentors and facilitators. Trusted by both older and younger colleagues, they can bridge digital fluency gaps across generations.

Organizations can:

• Launch AI champion programs to formally train and recognize millennials as workshop leaders and peer coaches.
• Foster cross-generational peer learning, pairing AI-savvy millennials with less experienced colleagues.
• Involve millennials in learning strategy development, especially in designing use cases, vetting tools and piloting programs.

2. Design cross-generational training programs.

AI training must be flexible and inclusive. While Gen Z may prefer to explore AI independently, Gen X and boomers may prefer structured guidance and safe spaces to learn.

Organizations can:

• Offer role-specific AI modules beyond basic introductions.
• Use real-world scenarios to demonstrate AI’s practical benefits.
• Provide hands-on experimentation with tools employees can use in their daily work.

3. Make AI literacy a continuous long-term learning goal.

As Laura Zarrow of Wharton Generative A.I. Labs stated at D2L’s annual Fusion conference: AI is the paintbrush, not the paint. It’s not a single skill — it’s a new operational layer. Just as digital literacy became essential, AI fluency will soon be standard.

Organizations can:

• Embed AI into onboarding, professional development and leadership training.
• Focus on foundational concepts like prompt engineering, bias awareness, ethics and limitations.
• Create resources such as video tutorials, prompt libraries and micro-courses for continuous learning.

Change is coming to every sector. Now is the time to activate a strategic AI L&D plan and invest in millennials as connectors, mentors and builders of institutional AI capability. America’s classrooms offer a glimpse into the future. It’s time for organizations to take note.