Professor’s New Book Explores What Children Should Learn in an AI-Transformed World

A new book by a Gresham College professor will explore some of the latest researches into artificial intelligence and what it means for future generations.

Daniel Susskind is the Mercers’ School Memorial Professor of Business at Gresham College, and has been exploring the use of AI across his lectures.

The book, What Should My Children Do?, is published by Allen Lane on Thursday, 10 September, with an RRP of £20.

It seeks to answer the question what should the next generation learn – and what should they stop worrying about – in a world transformed by artificial intelligence?

We should not ban tools or discourage new skills that are in demand, Professor Susskind argues, or cling to inherited ways of working. Instead, he reveals how people can master new technologies without eroding other essential skills. From reorganising the curriculum to re-imagining white-collar careers, Professor Susskind seeks to map a smarter, more productive path forward.

Drawing on 15 years of research, the book aims to be an evidence-based and practical guide to one of the 21st century's most pressing issues and complements his Gresham College lectures.

It has been endorsed by, among others, the former Conservative party leader William Hague, who notes: "Few subjects could be more urgent, and few writers are better equipped to address it. Daniel Susskind has thought deeply about the impact of AI on all of us and on future generations."

The book was previewed in a piece published by The Guardian newspaper.

Professor Susskind's  series for the 2026-27 academic year is entitled AI, Copyright and the Fight for Free Culture. It launches on Tuesday, 22 September with The Future of Creativity. This explores the change from the 1950s, when it was thought that AI could never be creative, to today where we are surrounded by AI models that can create texts, music, images and videos. Will the 21st century see an increase of the use of computer-generated art?