Even in the world where change is slower, more like the speed of the industrial revolution, I feel a bit like we’re preparing children to be good blacksmiths or shoemakers in 1750 when the factory is coming. The families around us are still very much focused on the track of do well in school > get into a good college > have a career > have a nice life. It seems really likely that chain will change a lot sometime in my children’s lifetimes.
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- [note::This resonates deeply - our education systems (at least in my country) are not equipped to handle the magnitude of change that might come.]

There are some theories about how parenting will make you more productive or motivated, which I don’t really buy (especially for mothers). I do buy that it would be corrosive for a field to have a norm that foregoing children is a signal of being a Dedicated, High-Impact Person.
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I’m trying to lean toward more grasshopper, less ant. Live like life might be short. More travel even when it means missing school, more hugs, more things that are fun for them.
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I haven’t really looked into what careers are less automatable; that seems probably worth looking at when teenagers or young adults are moving toward careers. I wouldn’t be surprised if childcare is actually one of the most human-specialized jobs at some point.
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(highlight:: Some thoughts from other parents:
A friend pointed out is that it’s good if children’s self-image isn’t too built around the idea of a career, because of the high chance that careers as we know them won’t be a thing.
“For now I basically just want her to be happy and healthy and curious and learn things.”
“I think it’s worth focusing on fundamental characteristics for a good life: high self esteem and optimistic outlook towards life, problem solving and creative thinking, high emotional intelligence, hobbies/sports/activities that they truly enjoy, being AI- and tech-native.”
“I’m less worried about mine being doctors or engineers. I feel more confident they should just pursue their passions.”)
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(highlight:: I know some parents who are encouraging kids to play around with generative AI, with the idea that being “AI-native” will help them be better prepared for the future. 
Currently my guess is that the risk of the kids falling into some weird headspace, falling in love with the AI or something, is higher than is worth it. As Joe Carlsmith writes: “If they want, AIs will be cool, cutting, sophisticated, intimidating. They will speak in subtle and expressive human voices. And sufficiently superintelligent ones will know you better than you know yourself – better than any guru, friend, parent, therapist.”Maybe in a few years it’ll be impossible to keep my children away from this coolest of cool kids. But currently I’m not trying to hasten that.)
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(highlight:: I think this quote doesn’t do justice to “Try hard to avert futures where we all get destroyed,” but I still find it useful.
“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”)
- No location available
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Even in the world where change is slower, more like the speed of the industrial revolution, I feel a bit like we’re preparing children to be good blacksmiths or shoemakers in 1750 when the factory is coming. The families around us are still very much focused on the track of do well in school > get into a good college > have a career > have a nice life. It seems really likely that chain will change a lot sometime in my children’s lifetimes.
- No location available
-
- [note::This resonates deeply - our education systems (at least in my country) are not equipped to handle the magnitude of change that might come.]

There are some theories about how parenting will make you more productive or motivated, which I don’t really buy (especially for mothers). I do buy that it would be corrosive for a field to have a norm that foregoing children is a signal of being a Dedicated, High-Impact Person.
- No location available
-

I’m trying to lean toward more grasshopper, less ant. Live like life might be short. More travel even when it means missing school, more hugs, more things that are fun for them.
- No location available
-

I haven’t really looked into what careers are less automatable; that seems probably worth looking at when teenagers or young adults are moving toward careers. I wouldn’t be surprised if childcare is actually one of the most human-specialized jobs at some point.
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Some thoughts from other parents:
A friend pointed out is that it’s good if children’s self-image isn’t too built around the idea of a career, because of the high chance that careers as we know them won’t be a thing.
“For now I basically just want her to be happy and healthy and curious and learn things.”
“I think it’s worth focusing on fundamental characteristics for a good life: high self esteem and optimistic outlook towards life, problem solving and creative thinking, high emotional intelligence, hobbies/sports/activities that they truly enjoy, being AI- and tech-native.”
“I’m less worried about mine being doctors or engineers. I feel more confident they should just pursue their passions.”)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: I know some parents who are encouraging kids to play around with generative AI, with the idea that being “AI-native” will help them be better prepared for the future. 
Currently my guess is that the risk of the kids falling into some weird headspace, falling in love with the AI or something, is higher than is worth it. As Joe Carlsmith writes: “If they want, AIs will be cool, cutting, sophisticated, intimidating. They will speak in subtle and expressive human voices. And sufficiently superintelligent ones will know you better than you know yourself – better than any guru, friend, parent, therapist.”Maybe in a few years it’ll be impossible to keep my children away from this coolest of cool kids. But currently I’m not trying to hasten that.)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: I think this quote doesn’t do justice to “Try hard to avert futures where we all get destroyed,” but I still find it useful.
“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”)
- No location available
-