What does it mean to be young in 2026?

For me, it’s exciting, but also uncertain. My generation is entering a job market where AI can complete tasks in seconds that once sat firmly within graduate and entry-level roles. It’s hard not to wonder what that means for us and the careers we’re only just beginning. Through my experience working in a creative agency, I’ve started to look at the rise of AI differently.

AI can generate an image, summarise a report and even draft an article (although I will take credit for this one!) What it can’t do is build a relationship or earn someone’s trust. The more I work alongside these technologies, the more I’ve realised that technology isn’t replacing the value of people; it’s redefining where that value lies.

I’ve seen this first-hand working with organisations developing world-leading and disruptive technologies. They can have a ground-breaking product, years of technical expertise and the brightest minds in their industry, yet struggle to explain why any of it matters to someone outside their world.

That’s where my generation has a real opportunity.

As a Gen Z, digital communications isn’t something we’ve had to adapt to; it’s the world we’ve grown up in. Working in communications has shown me how valuable that experience can be. We can use our understanding of digital platforms to help organisations tell their stories, translating complex and technical ideas into something human, and helping people understand not only what technology does, but why it matters.

That’s what this year’s International Youth Day represents. The challenge for people my age isn’t to compete with technology, but to shape how we use it. Our generation has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to combine technological fluency with the distinctly human skills of creativity, communication and connection.

In a world increasingly shaped by AI, our greatest contribution won’t be replacing human connection, but strengthening it.