How will the rise of generative AI shape the future of work for today’s children? To answer that, we may need to look back—as far back as donkeys and steam engines.
For a while now, I’ve been reflecting on the potential long-term impacts of artificial intelligence on human life—especially for the younger generation. I remember how the advent of email gradually eroded the role of secretaries in most organisations. Over time, those traditional roles gave way to more flexible ones like virtual and personal assistants. As laptops and computers became more accessible, many mid- and senior-level professionals stopped relying on secretaries altogether. At the same time, entirely new roles emerged—social media managers, digital marketers, and engagement analysts —jobs that barely existed two decades ago.
We’re witnessing a similar shift today with the rise of AI. Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are rapidly being adopted across industries—from automating customer service and generating marketing content to assisting developers and analysts. As AI becomes more accessible and integrated into daily workflows, we’re also seeing the emergence of new roles like prompt engineers, AI trainers, and ethics consultants.
Rather than simply replacing jobs, AI is transforming how work gets done—and creating entirely new career paths.
To understand the scale of this change, I often think about the evolution of human transportation. For much of history, walking was our main mode of movement. Eventually, we domesticated animals—horses, donkeys, and camels—that helped us carry goods and travel farther. Each had unique traits. Camels were incredibly resilient and ideal for long journeys, while horses and donkeys served shorter, day-to-day purposes. These animals weren’t just useful—they were cultural and economic milestones.
Over time, carts turned into steam engines, and those into cars, planes, and ships. A journey that once took a year now takes hours. With each breakthrough, society became more connected and efficient. Today, AI is that breakthrough. It’s the next major leap—changing not how we move, but how we think, create, and collaborate. Within a decade, GenAI tools could be as vital as smartphones are now.
So what can we do for the next generation?
Make sure your child—or any young person you care about—develops core skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability. The future won’t just belong to those who use the tools—it will belong to those who can ask better questions and use them wisely. However, the evolution of the transportation system to a more automated, faster, and efficient means did not eliminate the need for the expertise of the driver, and the better the driver was in some fundamental driving skills like mental alertness and spatial awareness, speaking and listening skills, the better they were at optimising the use of the transportation means. Similarly, the ability of an individual to use emerging technologies like AI in the near future will be based on those high-function, non-technical skills like critical thinking, listening, resilience, focus, and dedication.
