CNN This Morning Interview : Generation Alpha and AI: Why the Future Has Already Arrived
“We’re not preparing kids for the future. They’re already living in it.”
That was one of the core ideas I shared on CNN This Morning while discussing my new book, Generation AI, and how this rapidly emerging technology is reshaping everything we thought we knew about parenting, education, work, and culture.
The message is simple: if you still think of AI as a trend—you’re already behind. For Generation Alpha, it’s their baseline. They’re growing up fluent in machine intelligence the way Millennials grew up fluent in the Internet.
And this shift is bigger than any we’ve seen before.
Who Is Generation Alpha?
Generation Alpha refers to children born between 2010 and 2025. The oldest are now in middle school. The youngest? Still in diapers—and already interacting with AI.
This generation will never know a world without generative tools, voice assistants, or intelligent systems capable of mimicking human thought and emotion. In other words, they are the first AI-native generation.
While older generations adapted to new technology, Alpha is forming their worldview through it.
AI Is Reshaping Childhood—And Fast
During my CNN interview, I highlighted how quickly these tools are entering family life. Parents are using AI to:
Generate personalized bedtime stories
Turn family photos into custom coloring books
Help kids learn languages or solve math problems in real time
And while these applications are exciting, they’re also raising new risks—from emotional over-dependence to ethical gray zones. In one tragic example, a lawsuit alleged that an AI chatbot played a role in a teenager’s death.
This is not about hype. It’s about urgency.
We need to equip parents, educators, and business leaders with the tools to guide not just guard against this technology.
Education Is at a Breaking Point
Our school systems are decades out of step with today’s reality.
We still reward kids for memorizing and regurgitating facts, even as AI tools can deliver that same information in milliseconds. What we need now is a system built around:
Critical thinking
Prompt literacy
Ethical reasoning
AI-human collaboration
I’ve spoken with hundreds of teachers across the country. The majority feel unprepared. They’re teaching from pre-AI textbooks in a post-AI world.
The next 3–5 years will require a total reinvention of how we define learning and intelligence.
What Does “Literacy” Look Like Now?
In a world where AI writes emails, drafts essays, and answers complex questions instantly, literacy isn’t just about reading comprehension. It’s about:
Knowing how to ask the right questions
Understanding how machine outputs are created
Spotting bias and misinformation
Using AI to amplify—not replace—your human creativity
Whether you’re a fifth grader, a CMO, or a startup founder, your ability to work with AI—not against it—will define your trajectory.
The Future of Work Has Already Shifted
We’re heading into a labor market where over 80% of jobs that will exist in 2030 don’t exist today. From AI product managers to prompt engineers to synthetic content curators, the skills of the future look wildly different from what colleges are currently preparing students for.
That’s why, in Generation AI, I challenge both companies and universities to rethink how we train and hire.
Gen Alpha won’t be “using” AI—they’ll be leading with it.
What This Means for Brands and Business Leaders
If you’re building a brand, managing a workforce, or targeting tomorrow’s consumer—you need to act now.
Here’s what I tell every CMO and CEO I work with through Futureproof:
Your future customers will expect brands to behave like intelligent agents
Static messaging is dead; real-time, responsive communication is the new bar
Consumers won’t search the way they used to; they’ll ask their AI what to buy
This isn’t theoretical. It’s operational. The brands that win will master AI fluency, speed, personalization, and trust—at scale.
We’re Not Going Back
Some schools want to ban AI. Some executives still believe they can wait it out. They’re wrong.
We’re not going backward. And we’re not waiting five years to deal with this.
AI is already here—reshaping how we parent, educate, work, and communicate. Generation Alpha is leading the way. It’s time we catch up.
