If you have a teenage child, it seems extremely probable that by the time they enter the workforce or college artificial intelligence (AI) usage will be everywhere. As such, preparing your child for a world in which AI is prevalent may be a worthwhile endeavor.
Artificial intelligence, which we can briefly define as the use of digital technology to do non-deterministic, “fuzzy” work — has taken the world by storm since 2022, and shows no signs of abating. Consider some of these statistics regarding the current state of affairs in 2024, provided by National University:
- 52% of experts believe automation will displace jobs and also create new ones
- 83% of companies reported that using AI in their business strategies is a top priority
- 63% of organizations intend to adopt AI globally within the next three years
The take home point: those who are at the point of thinking about career opportunities would benefit from understanding the AI trend, so that they can take advantage of it, rather than suffering from a skills mismatch in the near future.
In practice, what does this mean? What steps can we all take to empower your children in a world that uses artificial intelligence?
Mastery of English
Regardless of what you may think of the controversial political views and actions of technology investor and defense contractor Peter Thiel, I do think his views on artificial intelligence are correct. A quote from an Inc.com story on Thiel and AI:
“My intuition would be it’s going to be quite the opposite, where it seems much worse for the math people than the word people,” Thiel explained. People have told him that “they think within three to five years, the AI models will be able to solve all the U.S. Math Olympiad problems,” which will really “shift things quite a bit.”
I don’t think this should be interpreted as a call to abandon math education, which I very much favor, but rather a reflection of sound writing skills being increasingly valuable. Artificial intelligence applications benefit from clear, well-thought out instructions; as such, individuals who can clearly communicate complex instructions using precise language will be well-positioned to use AI applications. Harvard University’s guidelines on how to talk to AI (i.e. prompting) are worth considering for those interested in learning how to use AI applications.
Related to this, it should be noted that most AI applications are trained, or designed, with the English language in mind, by people whose first language is English. This may change as the field of AI develops, but at least for now, this makes fluency and mastery of the English language even more valuable.
Emotional and Psychological Intelligence
An extension of the idea that verbal skills will be increasingly valuable in a world of AI is that emotional and psychological intelligence will be increasingly valuable as well. No matter how intelligent or capable an AI application may be, it will not be able to make and sustain a real emotional connection — the kind you get from a very skilled therapist or teacher, or a close family member. Lacking an ability to make eye contact, smile, or respond with a sense of timing that may be impossible to define but is still uniquely human are, in my opinion, key and perhaps permanent differentiators that need the input of authentic humans. It is worth noting that there is an entire field of emotional AI which does not share this viewpoint, though I’m skeptical that many emotion-centric fields can easily morph into full AI solutions. Those who share this viewpoint may thus want to invest more in skills and experiences that cultivate emotional and psychological intelligence. Examples of this might include team-building exercises, public speaking, psychotherapy, among many others.
Atoms
I’m a software developer at heart, and I still feel that is a great field to enter. If I’m being honest, though, I feel the world of atoms — physical stuff that you have to touch — is undervalued. As such, teens thinking about the future may wish to explore consider what they would like to do that engages with the real world in some way. Some will argue that advances in robotics and computer vision will allow artificial intelligence to enter the physical world, and while I agree with this assessment, I think it will take much, much longer for this to come to fruition. Skills that involve the material world and specialized training/education will thus, in my opinion, be valuable. Trade schools are a prime example, and the rise of “the toolbelt generation” is thus a positive sign of an imbalance correcting itself. The world of atoms, though, goes beyond trade schools: some example occupations might include an escalator or elevator repair, power line install or repair, firefighter, or wind turbine technicians.
Most Important: Excellence
Many are concerned that AI will reduce employment opportunities. I think this is a valid concern, runs parallel with the notion that AI will increase income inequality: spoils will increasingly go to those who can use AI, while those unable to take advantage of it may find themselves with few opportunities. Regardless of what field your teenager enters, excellence is the most important attribute for them to acquire. Artificial intelligence may be capable of replacing mediocre personnel in many fields, but those with deeply specialized knowledge and/or excellence in their given field will, in my opinion, remain immune to the threat of AI. In fact, experts will be able to use AI to increase their scale: in the field of software development, we are already seeing expert software developers use AI as a proxy for junior developers; the expert can supervise and assign tasks to the AI, who will return the completed assignment for the expert’s review and integration into the larger project. Many software organizations will start to use things like Devin from this perspective. I expect other industries will adopt this pattern, in which a small group of experts will use specially designed AI applications as a proxy for junior employees. If your teenager is prepared to be excellent in their field, they will be beneficiaries in this scenario.