Future-proofing your kids

Is AI going to ruin our children’s future? Will they ever get a job? Are we all going to die?

These are some of the worries that have been in the air lately, and for good reason. Maybe you have children who’ve just graduated and can’t get work. Maybe you yourself have a job that is now at risk because of AI. I spoke to someone on Sunday who is looking for a job but struggling to get past the barricade of AI recruiters to contact real humans.

I don’t claim to be an expert on any of this. But I read an article in The Times by Babith Bhoopalan called “My daughter wants a career that survives AI — so I ranked them” and I actually felt encouraged.

He said there are four human superpowers which AI can’t do. If you can find a job which relies upon these superpowers, then you’ve got a good chance of ‘surviving’ the AI revolution.

(Before I share them with you, can I just say that I’m pretty sure that being a pastor or a youth and children’s worker will never be an AI job? So there’s always that!)

Here are the superpowers, and here’s why I was encouraged, as a Christian parent raising my children to follow Jesus and live by the wisdom of God’s word:

1. Emotional Intelligence
   • I suppose like with all types of intelligence, this is partly something you’re born with. But I also know it can very much be nurtured. I would hope that as we read the Bible and sympathise with characters like Joseph, Ruth and Elijah, and as we read the way the Psalms express the whole range of human emotions, and as we see how Jesus loves all kinds of people, and then as we try to live that out in our church and our community, that our children pick up emotional intelligence. I mean, if you can love people, then you’ve certainly got one up on AI.
2. Creative Vision
   • It’s true, this also varies from family to family. Some families just ooze creativity. They drift about, playing musical instruments and baking amazing cakes and whipping up wedding dresses and that sort of thing. We can’t all be like that. But I would hope that as Christians we at the very least value creativity. I still remember hearing someone say that, since God is creative (as he’s the actual Creator!), we reflect him when we are creating things. This is when I first realised the true value of creativity – not just as a means to an end. Maybe your kids are tone deaf, maybe they can’t draw or bake. But I reckon there will be some way in which they show their creativity, and as you encourage that you are (unbeknownst to yourself) weaponising them against AI. How fun!
3. Physical Dexterity
   • It’s possibly a bit harder to see how raising your children as Christians would give them physical dexterity. I would hope that all able-bodied children have this. Sadly, though, there are now many children entering nursery (aged 3) who have never held a crayon or even turned the pages of a book. They’ve only swiped. As you spend time with your children, doing a whole range of things, such as playing games, going to the park, baking, reading a book, writing a thank you note, you are improving their physical dexterity. Even a Christian family whose children have a lot of screen time will, at church and church activities, give their children opportunities to develop their gross and fine motor skills. (Did anyone else do a ‘dough disco‘ with their 3 year olds during lockdown? No? Just me?)
4. Ethical Judgement
   • I mean, do I even need to explain how living according to God’s word helps with this? God, who made everything, teaches us how to live well in his world, “doing what is right and just and fair” (Proverbs 1.3). Hallelujah!

I think most of you who read my blog probably don’t teach your children about the Lord Jesus so that they will turn out to be nice people. I think you probably care more about their salvation – but you are also hoping they’ll also be men and women of good character. This is, I’m sure, the right way around. But isn’t it a joy to see that as we look to the Saviour, who is also the Creator of everything, He does really know how best to live, here and now? And now we see that not only is it good for them, but it should help them get a job.

Of course, you don’t have to be a Christian to value the things I’ve just mentioned. I’m sure that by God’s grace there are loads of children in the world who’ve got more of these things than my children do. But as a Christian, without meaning to I’ve nurtured the human superpowers. It brings me back to one of the commands – and promises – that has been a banner over my life:

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34