A picture book for a changing world
An illustrated children’s book about artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of work.
Inside the story
Riley and Bot imagine what happens when new technology learns to do familiar jobs.
Why this book?
I wrote this book because I wanted to introduce to children and parents the notion that AI will be capable of doing much of our work by the time the kids reading this book “grow up” and are ready to get a job, and because of my daughter Mackenzie’s interest in books on jobs (she wants to be a veterinarian).
Many people seem to underestimate the impact and timeline that AI will have on jobs and our economy. It’s hard enough to believe that autonomous vehicles aren’t far away from displacing millions of transportation workers. It’s even more difficult to think that you might go through years of graduate school only to find that your area of discipline is performed better by AI. It’s a tough message. There is so much change coming so fast that it is hard for anyone to believe. We’re all children it seems when it comes to the understanding, appreciation, and fear of the power of AI.
I don’t try to paint a rosy picture just because it’s for kids. I think they are due a glimpse of how jobs will likely shift to robots and AI in the future. This book is real about the extent to which AI may largely displace jobs ranging from truck drivers to doctors, and even artistic and creative work will not be exempt.
While I playfully point out that there will be new jobs created which don’t exist yet, the world I hint at is one where AI will be better than us at many tasks and the owners of the AI are set to receive huge rewards while the rest of us struggle to shift into work still better performed by people. The story is a mixture of surprise, despair, excitement and hope, because it’s not a fairy tale, it’s a thoughtful depiction of the world I truly believe our children will find themselves in.
We must reinvent ourselves as the landscape of work is reinvented before our eyes. Ultimately I hope for this book to be a conversation starter, and to raise awareness with parents and children so we can be best prepared for whatever is coming.
The book is available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book at Amazon.
Paperback · Hardcover · E-book
The book is available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book at Amazon.
Buy at AmazonKeep exploring
I discuss why I wrote the book with Dan Turchin on the AI and the Future of Work podcast.
This amazing AI will make artwork from any words and style you give it. I’m fascinated to see the art it comes up with and have lost countless hours entering in strange phrases like “crypto cat milkshake” just to see what it comes up with.
What is the probability that AI will do your job soon?
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Say hello
Send a note about the book, a classroom conversation, or an idea Riley and Bot should explore next.
