I saw a post from a 12-year-old last week. Not a meme, not a joke. A real question: “Graduate in 2036 as an AI engineer—is it worth it?”
My first reaction was sadness. Then anger. Then I read the top comment: “At this stage, you should focus on your multiplication tables.”
That comment is not a dig. It’s the most profound career advice you’ll ever hear. The only career plan that survives exponential change is the one that admits it can’t exist.
We’ve been sold a lie: that if you pick the right degree, the right certification, the right job title today, you’ll be safe tomorrow. But AI doesn’t respect tomorrow’s job titles. By 2036, the definition of ‘engineering’ may have shifted to conversational prompting. The skills you’re trying to teach your child now might be obsolete before they graduate.
You’ve probably felt it too. That nagging anxiety that your career is a house of cards. That the world is moving faster than your ability to keep up. Neutrality is death. Pick a side: either you believe in rigid career paths or you don’t. I don’t.
The real value of multiplication tables is not multiplication. It’s the process of learning how to learn. It’s cognitive adaptability. It’s the ability to unlearn what you thought you knew and rebuild from scratch. Those are the only skills that compound.
I saw this firsthand in a friend—a brilliant software engineer who spent five years mastering a niche framework. Then AI wrote that framework in seconds. He’s now retraining for a role that didn’t exist six months ago. Meanwhile, a kid who learned to love puzzles and pattern recognition is thriving.
Here’s the twist: the kid who asked about AI engineering in 2036 is already ahead—not because he’s thinking about AI, but because he’s asking the wrong question. The right question is not “What should I learn?” but “How do I become someone who can learn anything?”
Stop asking if your child should learn AI. Ask if they can learn to unlearn.
That’s the only future-proof skill. Everything else is just a footnote.
FAQ
Q: Should I stop my child from learning AI?
A: No. But don't mistake learning AI for future-proofing. Teach them to learn how to learn—AI is just one tool among many.
Q: What practical steps can I take today?
A: Focus on foundational skills that build cognitive flexibility: math, reading, critical thinking, and puzzles. Avoid locking into a single career path.
Q: Isn't AI engineering still a safe bet?
A: Not as a rigid identity. By 2036, the role will be unrecognizable. Bet on the learner, not the label.