A picture book for a changing world
Jobs for Robots
and Jobs for Me
An illustrated children’s book about artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of work.
Inside the story
Art from the book
Riley and Bot imagine what happens when new technology learns to do familiar jobs.
Why this book?
A conversation worth starting early
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.
Read more about the idea behind the book
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
Meet Riley. Meet Bot.
Imagine what comes next.
The book is available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book at Amazon.
- Written by
- Doug Kerwin
- Illustrated by
- Irfan Assaat
- Reading age
- 4–10 years
- Length
- 30 pages
First published December 30, 2021
Paperback ISBN 979-8-9854930-0-9 · Hardcover ISBN 979-8-9854930-1-6
Links & resources
Big questions.
Curious minds.
How does AI learn? What can it get wrong? How might work change? Explore together with these activities, guides, and research for families and educators.
AI and the Future of Work Podcast
I talk with Dan Turchin about why I wrote the book, how jobs may change, the careers AI is creating, and the human skills worth protecting.
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See locations and applyResources and links reviewed September 2026 · Links open in a new tab.
Say hello
What do you think the future of work will look like?
Send a note about the book, a classroom conversation, or an idea Riley and Bot should explore next.