When Anthropic’s co-founder and President, Daniela Amodei, meets potential clients and partners, people invariably ask her one question after the meeting – ‘What should my child study in college?’ Daniela says, ‘AI models are rapidly changing the nature of jobs, so parents’ concerns are natural.’ Giants in the world of AI believe that technology-related skills may soon become obsolete, but panicking is not the solution. Qualities like flexibility, critical thinking, ethics, and responsibility, which are inherent in human behavior, are the real strengths. Top AI leaders inspire their children to imbibe these very qualities. Know their parenting style 1. Social interaction and connection are important Daniela says: As AI grows, the importance of empathy, kindness, and the ability to connect with others will increase. Machines can communicate, but they cannot feel like humans.
Daniela says, ‘In the future, the child who knows how to build relationships with people will be successful.’
Humans always prefer to be with humans; loneliness causes pain. That’s why I want my children to socialise more and understand people with their unique identities. Human creativity and the desire to live in groups will never end. 2. Human expertise will be needed Manny Medina, co-founder of Paid AI, has four children (aged 4, 9, 19, 26). He believes that in the future, two sectors, energy and healthcare, will remain the most vibrant. Medina says, ‘Human expertise will always be necessary for treating diseases like cancer.’
He says, ‘Machines cannot do philanthropic work and environmental care from the heart. Children should see AI as a tool, not a threat.’ 3. Flexibility and reasoning power are important Carolyn Hanke, an AI Work Transformation Expert at SAP, has a 15-year-old son who wants to become a footballer. Carolyn believes this is right. She says that today’s tech skills will become obsolete in two years, so flexibility and the ability to accept change are most important.
She advises her son to focus on mathematics and logical thinking because logical thinking will be a strong foundation in the age of AI. 4. Being versatile is important Professor Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School has two children (16 and 19 years old). They talk about AI but haven’t fully thought it through. He advises children to become ‘versatile’.
For example, a doctor’s job is not just to diagnose illness, but also to understand and reassure the patient. He says that Liberal Arts are more important than ever so that children can adapt themselves to every situation. 5. Learning to take responsibility is important Microsoft’s Chief Scientist Jamie Teevan says: AI can offer suggestions, but it cannot take responsibility for decisions.
That’s why she tells children to pursue fields like law or accounting, where humans are accountable for their decisions. She believes that the habit of thinking deeply and doing difficult work will keep children ahead of machines.
