AI and Robotics (Part 3) – Difficulty in Planning for Careers
Author: Patrick Blair
This article is the third in an ongoing series discussing how AI and robotics will affect us and how we can choose to respond. The first article discussed my initial gut reaction to the subject: fear. The second article discusses my second reaction to the subject: fascination.
Has AI directly impacted your life yet? I have a client who regularly presents me lawyerly AI information as a starting point for working on projects. It’s a little unnerving, because I feel like some of my knowledge is being replaced or cheapened. However, the biggest impact AI has had on my life so far is in how I advise my children on their future careers.
Remember when politicians’ response to people who lost their manufacturing jobs was, “learn to program.” Well, because AI is great at programming, software development jobs have evaporated.
How Do I Advise My Teenage Children on their Careers?
Because of the threat AI and robotics poses to employment, especially entry-level employment, I’ve been struggling with how to advise my children on their careers. My daughter just finished her first year in college and is looking at architecture-related careers. My son is a rising senior in high school and looking toward a blue-collar technical career. Because of the dizzying speed of change in AI’s implementation, it is really difficult to know how various careers will be affected or even if they will be completely eliminated.
“Microsoft AI boss Mustafa Suleyman has warned that AI could be coming to take most white-collar jobs soon. Not just coders, but even professionals such as lawyers and accountants, may see their job be automated by AI. … Suleyman predicted significant changes in the workforce were in store for the future. He reckoned that almost everyone who does their job on a computer could be at risk. The Microsoft AI boss explained, "White-collar jobs are those sitting in front of computers, whether lawyers, accountants, project managers, or marketers and most of these tasks will be fully automated by AI within the next 12 to 18 months."” India Times 2/12/26.
I believe there’s a lot of hype and exaggerated predictions out there (the Suleyman prediction has already been heavily criticized), but the general trends are undeniable. Even if only 20% of jobs were lost in the next 10 years, it would be catastrophic for society. Even if generous universal basic income (UBI) was given out, which could soften the financial blow, society would nonetheless experience an existential crisis. If you want to go down the rabbit hole on the subject, check out this super deep dive article.
My Best Advice: Focus on Character Growth and Personal Skills
So, what can I tell my kids? I tell my daughter in college to focus on personal growth (self-improvement) and not worry too much about specifics. I also tell her not to rack up too much debt (which is good advice in any circumstance). I tell my son to improve his people skills by getting any job, so he can learn about the work world (my son did get a job since I’ve told him that). My advice isn’t too different that it was, except that I’ve loosened up on my earlier fixation on suggesting specific paths.
Here’s my best reasoning. Because the jobs and opportunities of tomorrow are essentially unknowable (think singularity), you cannot can’t effectively pre-plan paths like in times past. It was not long ago that we told kids that a computer science degree was a sure thing (see the chart above).
In my pride, I want to micromanage my kids’ development into career success, but the situation has drastically changed. I need to humble myself to God and the uncertainty he has allowed in this world. Even 2000 years ago, James warned against such arrogance and certainty.
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15
You could try to forecast what the best careers will be in the coming decades, but there’s good chance you’ll be wrong. Indeed, we all need to move forward regardless of the uncertainty. It used to be doctor, lawyer, or accountant. Then it was computer programmer. Who really knows what careers will be next on the chopping block? Who really knows what the careers of the future will be?
For further study, here is a list of Scriptures on various topics. For a broader spiritual view on hard work, saving, investing, and other topics, read Faith and Finances or do the Building Faith and Finances course.
