Die erste Generation der AI-Migration: Die tragende Kraft beim Überwinden der technologischen Kluft

In the torrent of technology, each generation is seeking its own place.

The German sociologist Ulrich Beck once said, "Modernity is a continuous self - revolution." Every leap in technology is a self - reshaping of society, and individuals are constantly placed in new contexts during this transformation.

Today, we are standing on the threshold of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, witnessing a profound rift in the structure of human society and individual experiences. AI is not just a tool; it represents a new logic of existence. It has changed the way knowledge is generated, reshaped the relationship between humans and the world, and reconstructed our understanding of ourselves.

The Migratory Generation: A Generation of Disruption?

Compared with previous technological revolutions, AI has not only changed the content of work but also reshaped its essence. The "Future of Jobs Report" released by the World Economic Forum in 2023 emphasized that AI is giving rise to brand - new types of occupations while phasing out a large number of traditional jobs.

In this great social upheaval, the profiles of certain groups are always vague and fluid. The AI migratory generation is precisely such a group of people walking between disruption and connection. There are no clear birth - year boundaries for them, yet they share common life experiences: before becoming the mainstay of society, AI was not yet an integral part of life; by the time they reached adulthood, AI had quietly permeated every aspect of daily life. They could be those born in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or even some born in the 2000s. They are in the "interlayer" between the digital - native and AI - native eras, the "transitional people" pushed forward by the technological wave.

The Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and the early part of Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2005) were at the crucial juncture of AI popularization. They have direct memories of the pre - digital era and also have to reshape themselves in the wave of AI. They still have the warmth of cassette tapes, paper books, and hand - written letters from their childhood, but their youth has been surrounded by smartphones, social networks, and algorithmic recommendations.

The social distribution of the AI migratory generation is uneven. The speed of technological penetration varies between urban and rural areas, developed and underdeveloped regions, and different countries. The "World Development Report" released by the World Bank in 2022 showed that the penetration rate of AI among urban youth in North America, Europe, and East Asia is much higher than the global average, while vast rural areas in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America are still on the periphery of AI. The "migratory" experiences of the AI migratory generation vary greatly due to geographical, economic, and cultural differences.

The commonality of the AI migratory generation lies in the confusion and struggle of walking on the technological fault line. Their individuality is reflected in their responses to the "migratory" fate: some actively embrace AI and become preachers of new technologies; some observe cautiously, lingering between old experiences and emerging capabilities; others are passively caught up and struggle to maintain themselves in the torrent of the times. As the sociologist Anthony Giddens said, "Individuals under modernity constantly generate their identities through self - reflection and situational adaptation." The AI migratory generation is gradually outlining their profiles in the tension between reflection and adaptation.

In this sense, the "AI Migrants" have emerged. They are neither native residents of the AI world nor complete technological relics. They are the generation that is forced to migrate and actively adapt in the wave of AI.

The AI migratory generation can also be regarded as a new generation of digital immigrants. The distinction between "Digital Immigrants" and "Digital Natives" was first proposed by Marc Prensky of Princeton University in 2001. Prensky believed that people born before the digital age, even if they later became proficient in digital tools, still had a "digital accent," while young people who grew up surrounded by the Internet and digital devices have an innate digital intuition.

The growth of the AI migratory generation is an experience of "disruption." In their childhood, they received an education mainly based on "knowledge indoctrination" under the company of their parents. At that time, teachers were authorities, textbooks were the only source of knowledge, and exams were the standard for testing learning. The report "AI and Education: The Future of Transformation" released by UNESCO in 2021 pointed out that the education system from the late 20th century to the early 21st century still centered on "standardization" and "homogenization," emphasizing memory and compliance.

However, with the penetration of AI, the logic of education has quietly changed. Intelligent recommendation, personalized learning, AI teaching assistants, automatic grading... everything has become fluid and fragmented. The AI migratory generation has witnessed a drastic change from a "teacher - centered" to a "learner - centered" approach, and from "uniform progress" to "personalized paths" during their studies. As the Harvard educationist Howard Gardner said, "In the era of multiple intelligences, learning is no longer a one - way indoctrination but a multi - dimensional exploration and collaboration."

This disruption has brought about profound psychological shocks. The AI migratory generation misses the quietness and order of the classroom and is also attracted by the efficiency and freedom empowered by AI. They constantly switch between the "pre - AI" and "post - AI" eras, having to adapt to the pressure of standardized exams and learn to use AI tools for self - study.

The disruption in growth is not only reflected in education but also in every aspect of socialization. In the childhood of the AI migratory generation, social interaction was mainly face - to - face, and friendships grew on playgrounds, at desks, and in alleys. After adolescence, social networks, instant messaging, and virtual communities have become new spaces for interaction. A report from the Oxford Internet Institute in 2020 showed that those born in the 1980s and 1990s have a "hybrid" characteristic in their social interaction: they value in - depth connections in the real world and also like to expand their relationship networks in the virtual space.

Migration: The Underlying Color of Human Society

Human history is also a history of migration. Migration has never been just a geographical movement; it is a passage of time, a variation of identity, and a rewriting of the relationship between a generation and the world.

During the transformation from an agricultural civilization to an industrial civilization, humans left the land on a large scale for the first time and entered cities, becoming "residents of factories." This was not only a spatial migration but also a migration in time, rhythm, and lifestyle. The "clock time" brought by the Industrial Revolution replaced the "natural time" of the agricultural society, and human life was segmented and standardized, with individual identities being reconstructed accordingly. As the sociologist Georg Simmel described in "The Metropolis and Mental Life," modern urbanites are forced to adapt to a "nervous" state of existence, and their selves are constantly reshaped by technology and capital.

Technological migration is an "invisible exile." At every technological fault line, there is always a generation forced to leave the familiar world and embark on an unknown journey. The AI migratory generation is the "exiled" pushed towards the new continent by the technological wave. They can neither return to the safe zone of the "pre - AI era" nor fully integrate into the new order of the "post - AI era." Their identities are formed in the disruptions and gaps.

In the mid - 18th century, the rumble of steam engines broke the tranquility of the European continent. The Industrial Revolution not only brought a leap in productivity but also caused a drastic change in social structure. The British historian Arnold Toynbee called it "the first great migration of human society." Farmers became workers, and villages became cities. Traditional clan relations were replaced by factory discipline. As Marx said in "Capital," "All that is solid melts into air."

The Industrial Revolution brought not only a physical - space migration but also a migration of identity and recognition. The traditional "family identity" gave way to the "occupational identity," and individuals began to identify themselves as "workers" and "citizens." Social institutions such as education, marriage, consumption, and leisure were also re - arranged in the wave of industrialization. As the sociologist Anthony Giddens pointed out in "The Consequences of Modernity," "Modernity is a self - reflective order, and individuals must constantly choose and adjust between old and new identities."

The "migratory generation" of the Industrial Revolution experienced a severe identity rift. They missed the tranquility of the idyllic life and had to adapt to the rhythm of the roaring machines. Their anxiety, confusion, and resistance became the underlying color of modern society. As Byung - Chul Han said, "Every technological revolution is an existential earthquake, and the individual self is reconstructed in the disruption."

In the mid - 20th century, the emergence of computers and the Internet opened a new era of the information revolution. The American historian Daniel Bell predicted in his book "The Coming of Post - Industrial Society" that "information will become the core resource of society, and the knowledge class will replace the working class as the new dominant force."

The information revolution brought not only a change in the mode of production but also a migration of cognitive structures. The term "Digital Natives" was first proposed by Marc Prensky. He believed that young people born in the digital age have an innate digital intuition. Their ways of thinking, learning habits, and social patterns are completely different from those of the pre - digital era. Prensky pointed out in his 2001 paper published in "On the Horizon" that "Digital Natives are characterized by parallel processing and rapid switching and are at ease in the online world."

However, the information revolution also created new fault lines. A report from the Pew Research Center in 2019 showed that those born in the 1960s and 1970s were forced to "migrate" to the digital world after the popularization of the Internet and became "Digital Immigrants." They had to constantly adapt to new tools and rules in their study, work, and life. As the "Digital Life 2025" report released by the Oxford Internet Institute in 2020 said, Digital Immigrants often feel "technological anxiety" and "identity loss" and always have a "digital accent" in the digital world.

The "migratory generation" of the information revolution are the "Digital Immigrants" who adapt passively. They hover between the old and new worlds, missing the warmth of paper books while being attracted by the convenience of smartphones. Their identities are those of "transitional people" walking with difficulty on the technological fault line.

In the second decade of the 21st century, the rise of artificial intelligence marked the arrival of the intelligent revolution. AI is not just an upgrade of tools but a fundamental change in the cognitive paradigm. As the "The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence" report released by the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford in 2018 pointed out, "The impact of AI will surpass any previous technological revolution and reshape all aspects of human society."

The emergence of the AI migratory generation is a historical necessity. Those born around 2010 grew up in an era when AI was not yet popular. In their childhood memories, the Internet and smartphones were novel toys, and AI was just an imagination in science - fiction movies. By the time they reached adulthood, AI had penetrated every corner of life - from intelligent assistants to autonomous driving, from algorithmic recommendations to intelligent healthcare. AI has become the new background of life.

The identity of the AI migratory generation is a combination of "passive migration" and "active adaptation." As the "Generative AI and the Future of Work" report released by the McKinsey Global Institute in 2023 pointed out, "Those born in the 1980s and 1990s were at the crucial juncture of AI technology popularization. They have experiences from the pre - digital era and must quickly adapt to an AI - dominated future."

Migration means fluidity. The migratory generation plays different roles in different social spaces: they are "reconcilers" in the family, "bridgers" in the workplace, and "nomads" in the social circle. Their identities are no longer single and stable but are constantly generated and reshaped during the "migration."

The fluidity of identity is the fate of modernity. The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman pointed out in his book "Liquid Modernity" that the individual identities in modern society have become extremely fluid and unstable. The identity of the AI migratory generation is formed in the tension between "disruption" and "connection." They have to safeguard past experiences and embrace future uncertainties. Their fluidity is a walk on the fault line and a growth in the gaps.

This fluidity has also intensified social stratification. The World Bank's 2022 report pointed out that the popularization of AI technology has accelerated social mobility: some people have obtained new upward - mobility channels through AI and become beneficiaries of the new economy, while others have been marginalized and pushed down due to lagging skills and scarce resources. The AI migratory generation is in the "interlayer" of this structural change, having both the opportunity to rise and the risk of sinking.

The intensification of social stratification is not only reflected in the economic aspect but also in the cultural and psychological aspects. The AI migratory generation has formed a unique sub - culture during the "migration" process: they advocate efficiency, innovation, and freedom and are good at using AI tools for self - improvement and expression. However, they are also prone to getting trapped in the dilemmas of "involution," "anxiety," and "burnout."

The pain of contemporary people lies in the loss of certainty, which is not just the dilemma of the AI migratory generation. The acceleration of technology has made everything unstable and discontinuous. Education, work, family, social interaction... every field is undergoing drastic changes. The AI migratory generation grows up in the disruptions and seeks themselves in the fluidity. Their anxiety, confusion, and burnout are the echoes of the times.

But their creativity is also nurtured in these disruptions. As the sociologist Fernand Braudel said, "The real driving force of history often comes from the fluidity and collision in the marginal areas." The AI migratory generation is becoming their own generation in the fault lines and gaps.

Learning and Working in Symbiosis with AI

In the long river of technology, the relationship between humans and tools has always been the hidden thread in the evolution of civilization.

Once upon a time, hoes, steam engines, and computers were all extensions of human will and participated in the transformation of the world. However, the arrival of AI has quietly branched this thread. The French philosopher Simon Donnion wrote in his book "Technology and Existence," "Tools are the extensions of humans, while intelligence is the mirror image of humans." AI is no longer just a passive instrument but an active conversationalist, negotiator, and even a "other" in a sense. The AI migratory generation is the first to feel the subtle tension between "tool" and "collaborator" in this experiment of human - intelligence symbiosis.

In the era when AI was not yet popular, the essence of learning and working was "how to use tools better." People were used to regarding technology as an external, controllable means serving humans. The accumulation of knowledge, training of skills, and inheritance of experience all revolved around the "skilled use of tools." As the German sociologist Max Weber said, "The rationalization of modern society is the continuous optimization of tools and means."

However, when AI in the form of algorithms, models, and neural networks penetrates every corner of learning and work, the relationship between humans and technology has undergone a fundamental turn. AI can not only execute instructions but also generate content, offer suggestions, and participate in collaborative decision - making. The aforementioned report from the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford emphasizes that the "co - creative" nature of AI has become the core feature of the new - generation intelligent systems. The daily life of the AI migratory generation is no longer a one - way "command - execution" but a multi - dimensional "collaboration - generation."

In the field of learning, this change is particularly significant. The growth trajectory of the AI migratory generation has witnessed the transformation of education from "standardized teaching" to "personalized co - creation." The report "Artificial Intelligence and Education: A Guide for Policy - Makers (2021)" released by UNESCO pointed out that AI - driven adaptive learning systems can dynamically adjust the content and difficulty according to students' interests, abilities, and rhythms. Teachers and AI jointly participate in the generation and evaluation of knowledge. Students are no longer passive recipients but subjects exploring and constructing knowledge together with AI. AI has become an "intelligent collaborator" rather than just a "tool."

In the workplace, the role of the AI migratory generation is also quietly changing. Those born in the 1980s and 1990s are often more open - minded towards AI in the workplace and are willing to regard AI as a "partner" rather than an "opponent." They are used to integrating AI into the team - collaboration process and jointly completing tasks such as data analysis, content generation, and decision - making support with AI. The working mode of the AI migratory generation is the prototype of "human - machine symbiosis": humans are responsible for setting goals, grasping directions, and judging values, while AI is responsible for optimizing paths, improving efficiency, and expanding possibilities.

The AI migratory generation has learned to coexist with AI in this ambiguity. They no longer cling to the idea of "who is in charge," but constantly adjust the boundaries between themselves and intelligence in the collaboration. AI has become a "conspirator" in their cognition and action, jointly participating in the generation of meaning.

The popularization of AI has also brought about a profound change in the occupational ecosystem. The "Future of Jobs Report" released by the