AI: Preparing kids for careers that don’t exist yet

As artificial intelligence (AI) takes its place in all areas of our lives, experts say parents need to rethink how they approach education and career planning for their children.

It's not a case of if AI will impact a student's future career, but rather how.

In a world where AI can generate information in seconds, the traditional path of university or heading into a so-called 'stable' career may no longer be enough, says parenting expert Nikki Bush.

“Already around the world, AI is a disruptor, and, in fact, this past week we started to see that Agentic AI is threatening people in tech jobs."

A decade or so ago, says Bush, the advice to parents was to push children towards coding and programming. In 2026, AI can do it all, and faster, she says.

"That thought is almost defunct today, because the machines are doing the coding, so people working in the tech industry are starting to be replaced by AI."

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The truth is, says Bush, we don't yet know the extent to which AI will impact jobs in the future.

“At the get-go, we can say, there isn't one specific degree or qualification you can get that is going to prepare your child for the future, because things are changing so rapidly."

The key, suggests Bush, is to be open to continual learning.

"This applies to both adults and children."

Working parents who are being given the chance to upskill or learn more about AI should grab that opportunity with both hands, she says.

“We need to augment what we don't know with what we already know."

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Bush encourages parents to focus less on specific subjects and more on adaptability, resilience and digital literacy.

For some children, that may mean university, while for others it may mean vocational training.

"In a country like South Africa, where we've been sold [the idea] that if you can get your child to university, that's the panacea, your child will then be successful, that doesn't necessarily hold water today."

The goal, she says, isn’t to map out a fixed career path.

For more detailed information, listen to Bush using the audio player below: