AI is set to revolutionise the job market - Kate Orsen reflects on how Christian parents can think through the challenges this poses for their youth and children
As a parent in today’s AI dominant world, it can be very worrying thinking about our children’s future. How can we help guide them to find a rewarding career when we don’t even know if that career will exist in 10- or 20-years’ time? We hear alarming reports about AI taking all the jobs and may struggle to find hope in a world where human qualities seem to be so easily replaced.
Financial and job insecurity is a fact of life
As a freelancer I know that feeling of fear about financial insecurity all too well. Shortly after becoming a Christian, I started to meditate on Matthew 6 where Jesus tells us not to worry about what to eat, or wear because he will always provide. I had been in a small amount of debt all my adult life, not a huge amount, I was just always in my overdraft with a few thousand on my credit card, and never quite making enough to clear it.
Rather than fear the future, we can celebrate what God has created in our children and help guide them to use these qualities to the best of their ability
I tried to pray daily that God would help me out of debt. Then my husband was diagnosed with melanoma and had to undergo two surgeries. The week of the second surgery he received an email related to a financial investment he’d made years ago when we’d been living in Asia, and he couldn’t pay into a conventional pension. The money had unfortunately all been lost due to the financial crash of 2016. But the email revealed that there had been a fraud committed with the investment. It was being settled out of court, and he was going to receive 85% of the money back!
The money arrived in his account the day of the second surgery. And, even better than that, my husband became a Christian, as he believed that God had orchestrated it so that he would receive the money at that time! We used the money to pay off our debts, with most of it left over to save.
I share this story to remind us all that God promises throughout the Bible that he will take care of our needs when we follow him. More than anything my prayer is that my daughter will follow Jesus as an adult, and that through this she will know her gifts, she will be able to hear Jesus’s voice and find a vocation that is rewarding.
in Matthew 6:34 Jesus tells us ‘do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’
AI may well exacerbate insecurities but will also create opportunities
There are scary predictions about a world where humans aren’t needed, but in Matthew 6:34 Jesus tells us ‘do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’
Nevertheless, we can help our children to ‘future-proof’ their career paths. I was talking with a friend the other day who runs a successful nanny agency. We were reflecting on how childcare is one job that isn’t about to go out of fashion any time soon. While there are ‘robot nannies’ that have been developed, for the vast majority of people it is unthinkable to leave our children in the care of a machine. Many people also have a strong aversion to AI entering our most human spheres such as the creative arts. We want our music, literature, and books created by real humans. These are just a few examples of realms in which human skills are likely to be valued in the future, even if the pay isn’t great!
I think two of the most valuable skills our children can have is flexibility and creativity
I think two of the most valuable skills our children can have is flexibility and creativity. With these skills our children can adapt to an ever-changing job landscape, coming up with creative career paths and new ways of working.
We don’t know what this will look like, but as parents what we can do in the present is to notice what lights our children up, to facilitate their interests - whether that’s cookery or theatre, or actually learning about AI.
While the narrative around AI can often be a doom-laden one of computers doing everything, it’s worth noting that previous technological advances have changed job markets but created jobs as well made some redundant. There will likely be new jobs in the future that we can’t even conceive of now or at least new ways of working. If your child has an interest in technology, then I think finding a way to facilitate that is one option, as well as focusing on the more ‘human’ vocations that are in less danger of being replaced.
Read more:
4 ways Christian parents can engage with the latest TikTok trend: Aura farming
Raising youth and children in the age of AI: A Christian parent’s guide
3 ways parents can get teenagers thinking about AI and faith
One of the most popular Ted Talks ever is Sir Ken Robinson’s ‘Why Schools Kill Creativity.’ I think of the girl Sir Ken describes in his talk, who was labelled as a problem because she couldn’t sit still. But then, her psychologist realised she was a dancer. The girl: Gillian Lynne, went on to become a professional dancer with shows such as Cats and Phantom of the Opera.
Our children are made in the image of God and given unique qualities and gifts that reflect his character. Rather than fear the future, we can celebrate what God has created in our children and help guide them to use these qualities to the best of their ability. Above all, that means planting the seeds of faith and trusting that no matter how challenging this world Jesus will be there to help.
