In an age of human-machine partnerships, nearly 60 percent of Gen Z or post-millennials, born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, agree on working with machines as integrated teams, a survey has revealed.

The survey, commissioned by Dell Technologies, demonstrated that Gen Z living in Asia Pacific and Japan have a deep, universal understanding of technology and its potential to transform how we work and live

An overwhelming 91 percent in APJ understand the age of human-machine partnerships, while 36 percent see machines as tools for humans to use as needed.

Nearly 100 percent Gen Z in APJ have used technology as part of their formal education and 82 percent believe that technology and automation will create a more equitable work environment by preventing bias and discrimination.

“It’s almost a given that Gen Z has and brings in advanced technology and data science skills, however, they also bring with them a level of digital maturity that is now essential for any workplace,” said Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director – India Commercial, Dell EMC.

“Gen Z are the first genuinely digital natives to enter the workplace and hence are confident about their technical skills. They appreciate and look for more human connection and values more than just remuneration,” he added.

Importantly, Gen Z were found to yearn for human interaction in the workplace, despite having interacted with electronic devices since birth and grown up with social media, the survey showed.

Over 70 percent in the region expected to learn on the job from co-workers or other people than learning online.

Compared to phone (25 percent) or messaging apps and texting (21 percent), in-person communication was found as the preferred method for communicating with co-workers (42 percent).

While most Gen Z have confidence in their technical prowess, they also increasingly worry about having the soft skills and experience that employers are seeking (nearly 60 percent), the researchers found.

The survey was based on 5,772 high school and college students across nine countries in the region, including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.