Growing Our Children in the Age of AI: A Father’s Reflections

I see it in your eyes sometimes, late at night when we’re reviewing homework or planning for their future—those quiet worries about parenting in an AI-driven world that don’t need to be spoken aloud. Remember how we used to discuss certain careers as ‘safe’ paths? That certainty feels distant now.

But what I’ve noticed is how natural it is for you to turn these worries into teaching moments. Last week, when our daughter struggled with a math problem and wanted to give up, you didn’t just help her find the answer—you talked about how mistakes are just data points to learn from in life and in AI. That resilience, that ability to adapt to failure? That’s something no algorithm can teach.

That’s the foundation you’re building for them, every day.

I’ve watched you celebrate their messy paintings more than their perfect report cards. You see the way their minds work when they’re building with LEGOs or creating elaborate stories, and you nurture that spark with such care.

That special insight into their unique gifts—something I don’t always have the eyes to see like you do. You understand that while technical knowledge will be important in an AI future, it’s their ability to think differently, to connect ideas across boundaries, to imagine what doesn’t yet exist—those are the qualities that will help them thrive no matter how the world changes.

You’ve always had that vision for them, even when we’re drowning in the chaos of everyday life.

What strikes me most is how we’re modeling the very skills we want them to develop. Remember last month when I was stressed about work and you took over bath time and bedtime without a second thought? And when I noticed you were overwhelmed the next day, I made dinner and handled the morning routine without being asked?

That’s the collaboration they’re witnessing every day—not perfection, but commitment and mutual respect. I’ve learned so much from watching you balance your career and family demands. You show our children what partnership looks like in action—adapting, compromising, and supporting each other through it all.

This is how we prepare them for a future where human connection will be their greatest advantage over automation.

Remember that weekend we all agreed to put away our devices and just played that board game that somehow lasted three hours? Those moments are becoming treasures, aren’t they?

I notice how you intentionally create these opportunities for connection—times when we’re all just present with each other. In a world that’s increasingly digital, these simple human connections become their greatest advantage.

When I think about our daughter’s future, what if we viewed these ordinary moments as the extraordinary preparation she needs for an AI world? You’ve always had an intuition about this, about what truly matters when preparing kids for an AI future. You create space for laughter and conversation in the most hectic of days, and in doing so, you’re giving our children something no machine can ever replace.

As I watch you interact with our children—when you listen patiently to their endless stories, when you comfort them after a disappointment, when you celebrate their small victories with such genuine joy—I’m reminded that what they need most isn’t a roadmap to a specific career or a set of technical skills. What they need is what you give them every day: the security of knowing they’re loved unconditionally, the courage to be curious, and the example of parents who are learning and growing alongside them.

That’s the foundation on which they can build anything they imagine.

And when I think about the uncertain future they’ll inherit with AI reshaping everything, I don’t feel as worried because I know they have you—someone who helps them see their worth beyond achievements, beyond what they can do, and into who they are becoming.