2026 New Hires are "AI Native Preliminaries" - 92.6% Say "AI Utilization Necessary for Work" / Concerns about Accuracy of Information and Decline in Thinking/Creativity

ALL DIFFERENT Inc. (Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Daisuke Masazaki), which supports organizational development and human resource development for over 20,000 companies and 4.6 million people, and the Learning Innovation Research Institute®, which conducts research and studies on "Creating the Future of People and Organizations®", conducted a "Pre-Employment Awareness Survey" targeting new employees joining companies in 2026, from January 20 to March 4, 2026. This release announces the results of the survey and analysis on the awareness of AI utilization among the 26th graduating class.

Background

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve daily. Generative AI is already being adopted in many companies, with various explorations underway not only for work efficiency and productivity improvement but also for the creation of new businesses and innovation.

New hires for fiscal year 2026 are a generation that has been exposed to smartphones and social media since childhood, and many have experienced online classes during their student years. Furthermore, they have a strong tendency to prioritize efficiency and are the first generation to use generative AI on a daily basis.

A survey was conducted on how these new hires for fiscal year 2026 have utilized generative AI so far and how they want to approach it in their future work.

Survey Outline

• 86.1% of new hires for FY2026 use generative AI. Approximately 1 in 4 answer "use it almost daily"

• The primary purpose of generative AI use is "research and information gathering," accounting for about half. "Organizing thoughts" and "generating ideas" follow.

• Regarding ingenuity when using generative AI, "I thought or researched it myself first" exceeds 50%

• Concerns about using generative AI: "Accuracy of information" is overwhelmingly high at over 70%. Approximately half fear a "decline in thinking/creativity."

• Impact of generative AI on job hunting: Over 30% report "no particular impact." Positive items such as "my own values became clear" follow.

• AI utilization in the workplace: "Very necessary" and "somewhat necessary" account for 91.8%. There are also voices saying, "There is no option not to use it."

• Impact of generative AI evolution on the future and future work: 53.4% feel "not anxious," slightly exceeding those who "feel anxious." The content of anxiety is topped by "my job being replaced."

Survey Results

1. Approximately 90% of new hires for FY2026 use generative AI. About 1 in 4 answer "use it almost daily."

First, we asked about the frequency of generative AI usage (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot).

The results were: "Almost daily" (23.7%), "Several times a week" (42.5%), "Several times a month" (19.9%), "Rarely use" (9.4%), "Never use" (4.5%).

As a result, 86.1% of new hires joining companies in FY2026 reported using generative AI on a daily basis (Figure 1).

2. The primary purpose of generative AI use is "research and information gathering" at 45.9%. "Organizing thoughts" and "generating ideas" follow.

Next, we asked about the purposes for using generative AI.

The results showed that "research and information gathering" was the most common purpose, accounting for 45.9%. "Organizing thoughts" (39.8%), "generating ideas" (34.2%), "writing emails" (33.8%), and "study support (major subject study, qualifying exams, languages, etc.)" (33.1%) followed, with over 30% each, indicating diverse usage (Figure 2).

3. Ingenuity when using generative AI: Over 50% "thought or researched it myself first."

When asked about ingenuity or precautions taken when using generative AI, "I thought or researched it myself first" was the top response at 55.3%. "I devised prompts (instructions) to obtain optimal results" also exceeded 50% at 51.1%.

However, "I confirmed the accuracy of the information" was 46.6%, and "I rephrased the output in my own words instead of using it as is" was 44.7%, both falling below 50% (Figure 3).

4. Concerns about using generative AI: "Accuracy of information" is overwhelmingly high at over 70%. Approximately half fear a "decline in thinking/creativity."

Next, we asked about concerns when using generative AI.

The results showed "accuracy of information" as the overwhelming top concern at 73.3%. This was followed by "decline in self-thinking and creative ability" (54.1%), "protection of personal information/privacy" (48.1%), and "copyright issues" (33.5%) (Figure 4).

5. Impact of generative AI on job hunting: Over 30% report "no particular impact." Positive items such as "my own values became clear" follow.

We asked how the existence of generative AI influenced job hunting and career choices.

The most common response was "no particular impact" at 36.5%. This was followed by positive responses such as "my own values and important principles became clear" (28.2%), "the range of industries and job types I was interested in expanded" (24.1%), and "it prompted me to consider the skills necessary for my career" (17.3%).

On the other hand, items related to negative impacts, such as "I became anxious about whether my skills would be useful in the future" (11.7%) and "I felt anxious about the intensification of speed and competition" (10.9%), remained around 10%.

Throughout the responses, positive impacts were reported at a higher rate, while negative impacts were reported at a lower rate (Figure 5).

6. AI Utilization in the Workplace: "Very Necessary" and "Somewhat Necessary" Account for 91.8%. Some Say, "There is No Option Not to Use It."

From here, we explore how new hires for fiscal year 2026 view the utilization of AI in their future work.

When asked about the necessity of utilizing AI in future work, the responses were: "Feel very necessary" (48.9%), "Feel somewhat necessary" (42.9%), "Do not feel very necessary" (4.9%), "Do not feel necessary" (3.4%).

As a result, 91.8% of new hires responded that "AI is necessary for work" (Figure 6).

We asked for the reasons behind their choices for this question.

Among the excerpted responses, while there were voices stating "There is no option not to use AI," there were also sentiments like, "Precisely because everyone uses it, it is important to consider differentiation from others from an early stage," and "There is a possibility of being replaced if one does not understand what AI can and cannot do." This suggests they feel the "necessity of mastering AI" in addition to utilizing it (as in the original text).

7. Impact of Generative AI Evolution on Future and Future Work: "Not Anxious" at 53.4%, Slightly Exceeding Those Who "Feel Anxious." Top Concern is "My Job Being Replaced."

We asked if they felt anxious about their future and future work due to the evolution of generative AI.

The results were: "Feel very anxious" (6.8%), "Feel somewhat anxious" (39.8%), "Do not feel very anxious" (43.6%), "Do not feel anxious at all" (9.8%).

The total of "Feel very anxious" and "Feel somewhat anxious" was 46.6%, while the total of "Do not feel very anxious" and "Do not feel anxious at all" was 53.4%. The presence or absence of anxiety was nearly balanced, with those not feeling anxious being slightly higher (Figure 7).

Finally, we asked all respondents about the specific content of their anxieties regarding their future and future work due to the evolution of generative AI.

The highest response rate was for "my job being replaced (job loss/reduction)" at 27.2%. This was followed by "decline in skills (thinking ability, judgment, etc.)" (20.3%), "changes in expected roles" (15.5%), and "decline in humanistic values (creativity, empathy, etc.)" (12.5%). Only 0.4% responded "no particular concerns."

Even though they have not yet experienced working as professionals, new hires seem to feel the impact of AI evolution on their future and work to some extent (Figure 8).

Summary

This survey revealed that approximately 90% of new hires joining in 2026 use generative AI daily for various purposes such as information gathering, thought organization, and idea generation. While these new hires utilize generative AI for a wide range of applications, they express concerns about "information accuracy" and a "decline in thinking/creativity." However, when using generative AI, the percentage of those who "thought or researched it themselves first" was 55.3%, and "confirmed the accuracy of the information" was 46.6%, both below 50%. When asked about the impact of generative AI on job hunting and career choices, "no particular impact" was the largest category at over 30%. Positive responses such as "my own values and important principles became clear" and "the range of industries and job types I was interested in expanded" accounted for over 20%, while negative responses such as "I became anxious about whether my skills would be useful in the future" and "I felt anxious about the intensification of speed and competition" remained low at about 10%. Furthermore, when asked about the necessity of AI utilization in the workplace, over 90% responded that it is necessary. It is anticipated that the evolution of generative AI will change corporate talent strategies and job/work designs. However, regarding the impact of generative AI evolution on the future and future work, approximately 40% reported feeling anxious. The content of these anxieties included "my job being replaced" (about 30%) and "decline in skills" (about 20%). Overall, 2026 new hires tend to focus on the positive aspects of AI. On the other hand, their perception of the impact of AI utilization in the rapidly changing business environment appears to be somewhat vague.

Analysis: "Guiding 'AI Native Preliminaries' to True Outcome-Generating Professionals"

This survey indicates that new hires for 2026 are already accustomed to using AI as a "thought-organizing partner" in their daily lives since their student days, with over 90% responding that it is "necessary for future work." Given these characteristics, they can be positioned as "AI Native Preliminaries" who will master AI and create outcomes as working professionals.

What is noteworthy is the gap between awareness of AI anxiety and actual behavior. While over 70% cite "accuracy of information" as a concern regarding AI use, the proportion of those who "confirmed the accuracy of the information" when using AI falls below 50%.

For new hires in FY2026, who are expected to master AI and achieve results as true "AI Natives," how should companies support them?

■ What Companies Should Support to Foster Professionals Who Create Outcomes with AI

① Instilling the Understanding of "Responsibility for Work Lies with Me"

While prompt techniques are often emphasized when using generative AI, what is crucial for creating outcomes is "the ability to think about what needs to be achieved" and "the ability to learn, continuously revise, and see things through while executing."

It is important to help new hires understand and internalize that they must personally consider "how to make AI's output better" rather than simply accepting it as is. They need to repeatedly be told that they are responsible for verifying and refining the quality of the AI's answers, and continuous feedback from supervisors and senior colleagues on their work output is required.

② Designing Experiences to Enhance Thinking Skills

To fulfill the responsibility mentioned in ➀, thinking skills such as grasping matters from multiple perspectives and questioning assumptions are necessary. Deepening thinking skills can be achieved by accumulating various work experiences (successes and failures) and converting these experiences into learning. When designing training, it is important to ensure the following two points function in conjunction:

• Communicate and promote understanding of the work's objectives, expected roles, and learning outcomes.

• Supervisors and senior colleagues provide feedback and support reflection on the individual's experiences and learning, promoting subsequent improvements.

By enabling new hires to continuously cycle through these experiences, thinking, revisions, and execution at high speed, they can build a foundation for growth as professionals who can create outcomes by mastering AI, rather than seeking answers from AI. This will allow them to grow into "self-reliant and self-driving" individuals who can not only complete assigned tasks but also set their own challenges.

In an era where change is accelerating and individuals and organizations are increasingly subject to selection, fostering professionals who can find their roles within the organization and thrive with a sense of responsibility and thinking skills is extremely important.

Through such support, even after new hires reach a state of "independence" after being assigned to a department, it is crucial for companies and managers to continue communicating their desired future growth and roles. When the desired future state and roles are clear for new and junior employees, they can grow into "self-reliant and self-driving" professionals who not only complete assigned tasks but also set their own challenges.

Survey Outline

*When quoting this survey, please clearly state [Learning Innovation Research Institute "Pre-Employment Awareness Survey (AI Utilization Edition")].

*Items with errors or blanks judged during reading in each question have been excluded from the analysis as missing data.

*Percentages and other figures are rounded to the second decimal place, so the total may not be 100%.