Peer-reviewed article
Building minds for an uncertain future? Nurturing care in early childhood is more important than ever
Robert C Hughes, Xanthe Hunt, Mark Tomlinson ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This peer-reviewed article argues that nurturing care in early childhood is increasingly critical as children prepare for an uncertain future shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and climate change. The authors note that technological disruption will eliminate many jobs across skill levels, while planetary health systems face breakdown from climate change and conflict. The piece sets up the case that early childhood development and care practices must evolve to prepare children for these unprecedented challenges.
Key points
- Nearly 60% of all occupations may be automatable, with predictions from 2017 already appearing outdated
- Even highly skilled professions in law, journalism and medicine may be displaced by machines
- Machines may play increasing roles in child development and healthcare
- Technological shifts will occur alongside climate change and breakdown of planetary health systems
- These disruptions are likely to precipitate or exacerbate conflicts and displacement
Limitations
This is an excerpt from the introduction that presents contextual arguments rather than original research findings or evidence of effectiveness. The document does not provide data on early childhood outcomes, interventions, or their impacts.
Abstract
Recent innovations including the launch of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT provide a glimpse into a very different future where machines increasingly take on tasks that were previously considered the preserve of humans. What these large language models and their successors mean for the near future of work remains uncertain, yet it is increasingly clear that these changes will be radical. Whole cadres of workers will work with, or be replaced by, machines. The prediction in 2017 that nearly 60% of all occupations are automatable, already looks potentially out of date.1 Contrary to early predictions, even some highly skilled jobs in law, journalism and medicine may disappear entirely and machines may also play increasing roles in child development and healthcare.2 Moreover, these technological shifts will occur against the backdrop of vast disruptions due to climate change and a breakdown of the planetary health systems on which human beings rely; changes likely to precipitate or exacerbate conflicts and displacement.3