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Sam Altman may be a billionaire and one of tech\u2019s most influential leaders as the CEO of ChatGPT creator, OpenAI\u2014but his communication style looks a lot like a Gen Z text chain: no capital letters, minimal punctuation, and intentionally casual tone.<\/p>\n

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Internal text messages revealed through his legal dispute with Elon Musk shows that Altman often sticks to all lowercase. Even in high-stakes moments, like during the chaotic November 2023 period when he was briefly ousted as CEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The stylistic choice stood in stark contrast to other tech power players in the same exchanges, like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor, whose messages show more traditional attention to grammar and syntax.<\/p>\n

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Sam Altman texts Satya Nadella and Bret Taylor<\/p>\n

November 19, 2023, 11:49 a.m. \u2013 12:03 p.m. pic.twitter.com\/ZBoEghoEEb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Internal Tech Emails (@TechEmails) January 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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A scroll through Altman\u2019s social feeds today shows the same mix: some posts are formally structured, while others don\u2019t include a single capital letter. It\u2019s a habit he acknowledged on X back in 2023:<\/p>\n

\u201cmildly interesting observation: i always use capital letters when writing by hand, but usually only type them when doing something that somehow reminds me of being in school.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the 40-year-old, the lowercase look may be a personal quirk with little professional downsize, but for Gen Z workers, however, experts say not being willing to spend effort holding down the shift key can carry real career consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I see writing without capitalization it seems sloppy, unprofessional, and a little lazy,\u201d Tara Ceranic Salinas, a professor of business ethics at the University of San Diego\u2019s Knauss School of Business, told Fortune<\/em>. \u201cHow hard is it to capitalize?\u201d<\/p>\n

lowercase at work: when is the gen z habit actually acceptable?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve ever texted with a member of Gen Z or Gen Alpha, you\u2019ve probably noticed that capital letters and formal sentence structure can feel almost taboo. Writing in full-polished prose can come across as overly intense or serious.<\/p>\n

Young people feel comfort in the informality that communicating in all lowercase conveys\u2014making every conversation feel like it\u2019s with a close friend, according to Salinas. But bringing that tone straight into the workforce can backfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, the people you work with can\u2019t all be treated like friends and there needs to be a bit of an adjustment in communication style,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Some young workers may already be learning that lesson the hard way. Nearly six in 10 employers say they have fired recent Gen Z hires\u2014citing lack of professionalism, organization, and communication skills among the reasons.<\/p>\n

The rise of remote work has further blurred the boundary between professional and personal life, making informal grammar among all generations more common on communication platforms like Slack and Teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a standard to uphold in terms of work-appropriate conversation and showing respect to colleagues, typing \u201cu\u201d instead of \u201cyou\u201d isn\u2019t inappropriate; it\u2019s a sign of work behavior blending into everyday behavior,\u201d Gen Zer Zada Brown, a brand strategist at Ogilvy NY, told Fortune<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf workers can join a meeting via the Teams app while they\u2019re in the car driving their kid to a doctor\u2019s appointment, using informal grammar or online acronyms doesn\u2019t seem like such a major transgression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, workplace norms aren\u2019t universal. In some offices, informalities flow from the top down, so it can be best to wait to see if your boss or senior leader does it first.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you work somewhere the CEO uses Slack, follow their lead,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cIf they capitalize, do the same. If they use mostly emojis, emoji them right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facing a tough job market, Gen Z are breaking up with their lowercase habits<\/h2>\n

Recent college graduates are facing a more competitive job market amid economic uncertainty and rapid changes driven by artificial intelligence. That makes standing out\u2014for the right reasons\u2014more important than ever.<\/p>\n

Using improper grammar in cold emails, resumes, or cover letters could mean an application lands at the bottom of the pile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe message it sends is that the person wasn\u2019t willing to spend effort to hold down the shift key,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cFrom there, the potential employer may extrapolate other ideas about the individual; if they can\u2019t do this simple thing to make an impression, what does this say about how they would behave at work?\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Gen Z workers appear to be taking that advice to heart already\u2014and rethinking their digital-native habits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are we whispering? This goes specifically for texting,\u201d one Gen Z TikToker said in a viral video about disabling auto-capitalization. \u201cTurn it back on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just turned auto caps back on,\u201d another wrote. \u201cI\u2019m officially an adult.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, not everyone is on board.<\/p>\n

\u201ci refuse!!!!\u201d one commenter wrote, earning more than 19,000 likes. \u201conly if i\u2019m sending an email or texting someone important.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n