Gen Z is bringing pen and paper back to the workplace

As companies spend billions on AI in the race to automate work, a surprising office trend is taking hold among the youngest generation of employees.

Gen Z workers are embracing the decidedly low-tech: premium notebooks, colorful desk pads, handwritten notes, and the humble Post-it.

Gen Z office workers told Business Insider about the importance of carving out a personal space in increasingly standardized workplaces, and it may offer employers a clue for making return-to-office mandates easier to swallow.

“A space that I can call my own, I think, is very important,” Jessie Lei, a human resources professional, told Business Insider. “It feels…