Key facts
- Some Gen Z individuals are actively learning or improving their typing skills.
- The need for efficient AI prompting is a key driver for this trend.
- Faster typing is seen as a way to improve AI prompt quality and reduce reliance on voice dictation.
- Educators are noticing a decline in typing proficiency among younger students.
- Digital typewriter devices are seeing increased interest from educational institutions.
A growing number of young adults and students, particularly Gen Z, are focusing on improving their typing skills, driven by the increasing reliance on AI tools and the need for efficiency in both academic and professional settings. While AI can automate many tasks, the ability to craft precise and effective prompts is becoming a valuable skill, and fast typing is seen as a crucial component.
Julia Andrusiak, 26, found her slow typing disruptive in college and has since dedicated herself to touch typing. She now works in an AI-focused role and uses dictation for longer prompts, though she feels self-conscious about it. She notes that while AI can be helpful, over-reliance on it might outsource too much cognitive power.
Andrey Gerasimov, a 23-year-old computer science graduate, developed fast typing skills for gaming and now sees it as an advantage for AI prompting, allowing for more comfortable and complete expression of ideas. Andreas Francazi, a 36-year-old IT teacher in Vienna, has observed a decline in typing skills among his students, who are often unfamiliar with physical keyboards. He teaches them basic touch-typing techniques, finding the practice to be meditative for students.
Nick Sjolinder, founder of BYOK, a digital typewriter device, reported that approximately 10% of his device's orders come from educational institutions seeking to reduce AI use and distractions. Tarun Krishnamurthi, an 18-year-old student, uses his practiced typing skills to keep up with fast-paced lectures and views it as a potential professional advantage in an efficiency-focused world.