TRAILS News: What Tech Workers Tell Their Kids About Careers in the Age of AI (ft. Katie Shilton)
INFO Professor Katie Shilton explores how AI is reshaping technology careers and the advice parents give children about their futures
Photo licensed by Adobe Stock via Jay Koppelman
In the feature “What Tech Workers Tell Their Kids About Careers in the Age of AI,” INFO Professor Katie Shilton is examining how generative AI and growing uncertainty in the technology sector are influencing the advice parents give their children about future careers. Shilton, who also holds an appointment with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Science (UMIACS) and is a co-principal investigator with the Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS), is leading a research project focused on how technology professionals are preparing the next generation for rapidly changing workplaces.
Through the project, “Discovering Changing Values in the AI Workforce,” Shilton and University of California, Santa Cruz Associate Professor Norman Su will interview technology professionals who are parents and observe career events in major technology hubs. The researchers will explore how workers understand the skills and values needed as AI transforms technology jobs, as well as what they hope schools will teach young people. Supported by a 2026 AIM Research Seed Award, the project will also inform future academic programs and curricula designed to prepare students for an evolving workplace.
For more on Katie Shilton’s research into AI, technology careers and the future of work, read the full article here.
The original article was written by Melissa Brachfeld & the TRAILS communications group and published by TRAILS on September 11, 2026.