Raising Children in the Age of AI

I’m not saying AI is taking over instantly, but it’s quietly moving faster than most people realize. While my daughters (nine and seven) are just figuring out bedtime snacks, AI might already be predicting their routines, their habits, and their interests, while the adults in their lives haven’t even started asking what they need to learn to keep up—with knowledge, with understanding, and with ethics.

So What Can I Teach My Daughters That ChatGPT Can’t (Yet)?

1. How to Ask Better Questions

Because “What’s the capital of France?” is Google’s job. But “Why do people fight over borders?” – that’s a future CEO in the making. I want my daughters to know: Don’t just raise your hand; raise better questions than everyone else. But, they should start with asking first, then improve later on.

2. How to Fail Without Falling Apart

Spoiler: they’re not going to win at everything. Or anything, if we’re talking chess vs ChatGPT. So we talk a lot about failure: what it teaches, how it feels, and why it’s absolutely necessary. Especially for girls, who too often absorb the message that perfection = worth. We talk a LOT about bouncing back.

3. How to Lead with Empathy

Because no robot will (yet) cry at Pixar movies or gently convince their sister to share ice cream. Empathy is how humans lead. Not with brute force or logic, but with connection. And in a world where women still have to fight for a seat at the table, I want my daughters to walk into rooms and make everyone feel seen.

4. Bonus Round: Things Just for Girls (That I Say Out Loud-Often)

• Your voice matters. Even if it shakes. Even if someone talks over you.
• You don’t need to be “nice.” Be kind. Be respectful. But be clear.
• Being smart and being liked don’t have to compete. And if they ever do – choose smart.
• AI doesn’t care what you wear. Neither should you.

5. Emotional Control

• Feelings are natural, reactions are choices. Learn to name what you feel, pause, and choose what to do next.
• You can be angry without being mean. You can be sad and still strong. Emotions are data, not commands.
• Breathe first, act second. Especially when everything feels like a big deal.

What if I have Boys?

Can we raise sons who cry, lead, and don’t punch walls?

In this alternate timeline, I still have a messy living room, the Wi-Fi is still slow when I need it most—but instead of two daughters, I have a son. Or two. Would I change my parenting? Yes. And no.

Yes, because many boys are still raised under the legacy software of “toughen up” and “boys don’t cry.” And no, because I’d still be raising a thinking, feeling, curious human, not a carbon copy of a “man’s man” from 1987.

What I’d Do Differently

• Teach him emotional vocabulary. Not just “mad” and “hungry.” Try: frustrated, nervous, proud, overwhelmed, hopeful.
• Encourage gentleness without shame. Let him nurture plants, cuddle pets, and comfort friends— without telling him he’s “sensitive like a girl.”
• Let him lead without domination. Leadership isn’t barking orders; it’s inviting others to grow.
• Normalize imperfection. Not everything needs to be “cool” or “controlled.” Let him lose. Let him cry. Let him grow.

What stays the same? All the good stuff: Ask great questions. Lead with empathy. Play. Build. Fail. Try again. Learn to adapt, not just succeed. Care more about kindness than dominance.

Do We Still Need 18 Years of School, Then Four More?

Let’s be real. The “school → university → job → pension” pipeline is starting to feel about as modern as dial-up internet. We’re entering a world where degrees are optional, but adaptability is essential.

So what do I tell my kids?

• Learn how to learn. AI will teach them what. They need to master the how and the why.
• Build real things. Projects, portfolios, prototypes-not just PowerPoints.
• Be uncomfortable. Because that’s where growth lives (and where the best TikToks come from, probably).

So no—I don’t care if my daughters take a break before college to build an app, climb a mountain, or start a business from the kitchen. If they’re learning, they’re winning.

Sports, Soft Skills, and the Stuff AI Will Never Master

Let’s talk about the squishy, sweaty, social stuff. You know… the human parts. The parts where you:

• Play on a team.
• Lose gracefully (or loudly).
• Say “I’m sorry” and mean it.
• Make eye contact, not a spreadsheet.

AI can write a haiku. But it can’t:

• Inspire a team at halftime.
• Navigate a moral dilemma.
• Hug you after a bad day.

So yes, we play sports. We also do the harder drills.

And while we’re at it: let’s normalize girls sweating, leading, and losing, without shame. Confidence isn’t built from perfect test scores. It’s built from scraped knees, missed goals, and doing it again anyway.

Raise Humans That Machines Admire

Sure, AI can now write poems, answer trivia, and even suggest what movie you might like next Tuesday at 8:17 PM. But what it can’t do—what it may never do—is be human.

So let’s raise humans who are: curious enough to keep learning; brave enough to make mistakes; compassionate enough to care deeply; wise enough to question everything (even their bedtime routine). Raise kids who think freely, love fiercely, lead with their hearts, and can stand on a field (or a stage) and fail forward with a grin. The world doesn’t need more robots. It needs humans who can imagine, adapt, and bring meaning to the mess.

And that’s the kind of human—not robot—I want to raise.

Hoa Vu Quang is the founder of Glinteco, a company building AI-powered tools and providing IT outsourcing services. With a background in technology and education, he writes about the intersection of parenting and innovation.

For Glinteco’s information: https://glinteco.com/en/