The younger generation is growing up in an era of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence that are vastly more powerful than what older generations encountered in their youth. This means the average teen today, aged 11 to 18, is far more technologically savvy than the average teacher aged 35+. While teachers have the benefit of experience, students who have never known a world without smartphones and now AI assistants have an innate familiarity with emerging technologies.

As AI systems become increasingly sophisticated, this new digital native generation will help shape how the tools develop and are applied. For better or worse, the future of artificial intelligence will be guided by those who have known nothing but a tech-infused world. This generational divide in technological fluency is both unprecedented and consequential. The power of AI must be wielded wisely, and nurturing dialogue between generations will be vital to ensuring a responsible path forward.

The implications of this technological shift and generation gap are profound.