Over-50s talent vital for safe & effective AI in the workplace
Research has found that professionals aged over 50 could be integral to unlocking the full value of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
A study led by Wioletta Nawrot, Associate Professor at ESCP Business School, in collaboration with Tomasz Walkowicz, explores the evolving definition of 'talent' in the context of increasing AI adoption. The findings suggest that as AI systems automate tasks at speed and scale, the capabilities most needed in business-such as judgement, contextual knowledge, and ethical oversight-are attributes that typically strengthen with age and experience.
Experience matters
The study, entitled AI Needs Knowledgeable and Critical Minds, highlights a disconnect between current hiring practices and the operational needs of organisations leveraging AI. While machines can accelerate routine digital processes, the researchers argue that responsibility for accuracy, accountability, and reliability still rests with humans-particularly those with significant practical experience.
Professor Nawrot and her co-author note that as AI technologies take over more routine aspects of work, the premium on decision-making grounded in experience becomes greater. The research claims that multigenerational teams, which combine the strengths of various age groups, have long been shown to boost productivity, yet employment practices have not fully adapted to embrace this evidence.
According to survey data from The Stepstone Group in 2024, one in four UK jobseekers over 50 have hesitated to apply for roles due to perceived age bias. Additionally, over half of recruiters in the UK and Germany expressed doubts about the ability of older candidates to adapt to new technologies. The ESCP research suggests this scepticism may be misplaced and could be limiting organisational performance.
Economic impact
The study references Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data indicating that better integrating older professionals into the workforce could increase GDP per capita across OECD countries by as much as 19% over the next 30 years. This underscores the wider economic implications of including over-50s in technologically transformative roles.
The report contends that under-valuing experienced workers is not just a missed opportunity but also represents a risk to performance and governance, particularly at a time when the stakes regarding AI use are increasing.
Oversight and risk
"AI is automating what we used to prize in younger hires; speed, responsiveness, and digital fluency. What it cannot replace is the judgement, ethical awareness, and long-term perspective that only develop with experience. If businesses want to unlock AI's potential, they must start treating experience as a strategic asset, not an afterthought. Without that oversight, AI can produce outputs that are plausible but wrong, exposing organisations to legal, financial, and reputational risk. With ageing populations and rapid AI adoption, rethinking how we use the over-50s talent pool is not just inclusion. It is critical to business performance and public trust in AI."
The research calls for coordinated action among several groups. It recommends that organisations embed experienced staff into AI design and deployment processes and establish 'human-in-the-loop' roles to ensure oversight consistency. Governments are encouraged to introduce sector-specific AI training and offer targeted incentives aimed at boosting the recruitment and upskilling of older professionals. Additionally, the researchers suggest using structured financial mechanisms such as social bonds-with ringfenced funds and public reporting-to support longer-term workforce transformation.
Workplace and policy recommendations
The authors advise businesses to redesign roles to give experienced employees a meaningful position in AI oversight and monitoring. Investment into applied training for these roles is also recommended. The report suggests that embedding over-50s in decision-making processes and risk management across a business's use of AI could support more reliable and trustworthy adoption of these technologies.
This approach, the study argues, would better align with the operational realities of AI systems, which continue to depend on human judgement for outcomes that affect legal, financial, and reputational standing.
The paper, AI Needs Knowledgeable and Critical Minds: Why Over-50s Are a Strategic Asset and How the AI Era Can Help Us Rethink Value, links AI adoption with workforce strategy and public finance. It sets out organisational, policy, and financial recommendations aimed at making more effective use of experienced professionals as AI becomes central to business processes.
