Raising children on the eve of AI — LessWrong

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's thoughts on raising children in a world where transformative AI seems increasingly likely. The author wonders how they should be preparing their children for the future, given the possibility of radical changes.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Preparing Children for an Uncertain Future

1. What are the author's main concerns about how to raise their children given the possibility of transformative AI?

• The author is unsure whether the future will be "a lot darker or a lot brighter" and wonders how to prepare their children for it.
• The author feels that the typical path of "do well in school > get into a good college > have a career > have a nice life" may change significantly in their children's lifetimes.
• The author is uncertain whether to focus on preparing their children for a "fairly normal future" or for more radical changes.

2. How does the author think about the ethics of having children given potential existential risks?

• The author believes that if a child will have a reasonably happy life, it is better for them to live and have their life cut short than to never be born.
• The author finds the idea of not having children due to potential existential risks "unintuitive" and believes that even if humans don't last much longer, the children's lives would still be worthwhile.
• The author acknowledges the difficulty of thinking through "population ethics" in dystopian or torture scenarios.

3. What are the author's thoughts on how their work might affect the decision to have children?

• The author doesn't believe that parenting will make them more productive or motivated, but is concerned about a norm that foregoing children is a signal of being a "Dedicated, High-Impact Person."
• The author suggests "spending a lot on childcare" as a compromise.
• The author is trying to "lean toward more grasshopper, less ant" and focus on living life as if it might be short, with more travel and fun activities for the children.

[02] Specific Strategies for Preparing Children

1. What are the author's thoughts on having children engage with generative AI systems like ChatGPT?

• The author is currently cautious about encouraging their children to use generative AI, as they are concerned about the risks of children "falling into some weird headspace" or "falling in love with the AI."
• The author believes that in the future, it may become "impossible to keep my children away from this coolest of cool kids," but for now they are not trying to hasten that.

2. How much do the author's children currently know about existential risks like AI and biorisk?

• The author's children have some awareness of the possibility of human extinction, but mostly from learning about the dinosaurs.
• The children are more viscerally worried about climate change and the loss of panda habitats, as they have heard more about those from outside sources.
• The author tries to balance being honest about risks while also encouraging their children to focus on "sensible and human things."

3. What are the author's thoughts on the skills and mindsets that may be valuable for children in the future?

• The author suggests that "prepper" skills like first aid, navigation, repair, and basic agriculture may become more valuable as the economy and job market change.
• However, the author acknowledges the difficulty in predicting what specific skills will be most useful, and suggests focusing on developing a "calm and clear" mindset that can adapt to changing circumstances.
• The author also highlights the potential value of skills like creativity, empathy, imagination, and teamwork, as suggested by a white paper on the future of work.