On Preparing Young Children For The Age of AI

I was recently tasked at work to design a curriculum preparing young children for the age of AI.

For two weeks, I thought deeply about this. I have been, for the past few months, been obsessed with the latest technological advances and incredible uses of AI. Getting the opportunity to design a programme like this was incredibly exciting for me, and I wanted to get it right.

I reflected on the books I have read by people who have used AI extensively and written honestly about what it did for (and to) them. I enrolled in a course by Anthropic Academy to understand what it means to be AI-fluent; the practical skills of interacting with AI effectively, efficiently, ethically and safely.

I looked back at my experience with building vibe-coded apps and contemplated on the experiences that people have shared on LinkedIn and Instagram about their own uses with AI.

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I have been a curriculum writer for the past 6 years and have written various programmes for young children. But this one is different. This is about preparing children for a world where most adults aren't even prepared for. In trying to write out the overview and outcomes of this programme, one thought has been stuck on my mind.

Before a child ever interacts with an AI, what should they first have? What needs to be already inside them?

I know it won't be technical skills. It won't be digital literacy, or coding, or knowing which AI tool to use. It will, and should be, what makes them human. The question I keep starting from is this: What does it mean to be human in a world where machines can do what humans were educated to do?

I have started building a framework around this and will be posting about it as it develops.