I was commuting to work one morning last week as usual when I opened my phone and found short-video platforms flooded with posts about an AI product called Manus. From ChatGPT to DeepSeek and now Manus, AI has evolved in just one year from a “consultant” that answers questions to an “intelligent colleague” capable of replacing humans in executing complex tasks. As a mother of two 6-year-olds, I felt, for the first time, that the world my children will face may lie entirely beyond my comprehension.

Last year, my programmer husband and I debated whether “learning to code” would still be useful for our child. Back then, AI was limited to “answering questions.” But today, Manus can decompress resume files, analyze stock data, plan travel itineraries, and even generate comprehensive analytical reports – tasks once reserved for entry-level white-collar workers, data analysts, and administrative assistants. Now, AI accomplishes in minutes what humans once took hours or days to complete.

On Xianyu, China’s secondhand retail platform that’s owned by Taobao, Manus invitation codes are being resold for up to RMB 90,000. Behind this frenzy lies a widespread panic over “AI replacing human labor.” A tech blogger remarked: “Manus is like an all-purpose intern. It not only understands instructions but also independently uses tools to complete tasks.” This made me realize that if my child starts learning “standardized skills” like data entry or basic document processing now, those jobs may vanish by the time they enter the workforce.

My anxiety stems from the redefinition of educational goals. I flipped through my child’s kindergarten curriculum: phonics, math, literacy, classical poetry… These were once considered “fundamentals” during my school days, but their relevance is being upended in the AI era. What stunned me most about Manus was its capacity for “autonomous learning” and “cross-domain collaboration.” For example, it can scrape real estate data, analyze neighborhood safety metrics, and even build interactive websites to present results – tasks that no longer require isolated skills but rather the ability to deconstruct problems, leverage tools, and execute creatively.

Even I, a coding novice, began wondering: Could I someday use Manus to build a CRM system perfectly tailored to my company’s needs? When DeepSeek first emerged, my husband dismissed this idea, but now he says, “Maybe it’s actually possible!”

This forced me to reflect on how, if AI can automate procedural work, are we preparing children for the 21st century using 20th-century educational models?

Let’s look at what’s worth learning and what’s no longer worth the “grind” today.

Drawing from Manus’ case studies and expert analyses, I believe many parents can identify key trends:

1. Skills Rendered Obsolete by AI:

Repetitive mechanical tasks like data entry and file organization. Manus can unzip resumes and generate Excel sheets autonomously, making such skills nearly obsolete. Teachers should reconsider assignments like “copy this ten times.”

Surface-level knowledge in narrow domains like memorizing historical dates or geographic facts. In middle school, my greatest challenge was rote memorization of events from ancient times to the millennium. Today, AI’s real-time retrieval and analysis surpass human capabilities, signaling that some memorization may no longer belong in education.

2. Skills That Demand Reinforcement:

Creative thinking. Although Manus can generate reports, it cannot pose novel questions. For instance, in its real estate analysis case, humans must first define the criteria for a “safe community” – a skill rooted in critical definition.

Complex communication and empathy. AI can screen resumes but cannot gauge a candidate’s potential or team fit. Emotional intelligence in human interaction remains irreplaceable, slightly easing my own career anxieties.

Interdisciplinary integration. Manus relies on multi-agent collaboration. Future humans will need to innovate at the intersection of technology, humanities, and business, aligning with China’s push for “cross-disciplinary” education.

For my family, I plan to gradually shift my kids’ learning focus from knowledge absorption to skill cultivation. As they grow older, I’ll reduce time spent on rote problem-solving and introduce project-based learning, like planning a family trip, calculating budgets, and making decisions independently.

I’ll also be emphasizing “Failure Education.” While AI executes flawlessly, humans learn through mistakes. I’ll encourage my children to test “unreliable” ideas – like building an unstable block tower – and analyze why it failed. As I always tell them, “Mistakes aren’t scary; understanding them is what matters.”

At home, we play “debate games,” discussing topics like “Who drives better: humans or AI?” Because even flawless AI-generated reports require humans to assess their logic and biases. I believe these activities help children strengthen their expression and critical thinking skills instead of relying on information that’s fed to them.

Despite my worries, I see hope. Manus’ developers credit open-source communities, echoing a recurring theme: Future competitiveness lies in “harnessing AI to augment human capabilities,” not fighting it. My game-designer husband and sons someday using AI to create a game they all love is a future worth embracing.

As someone once said, “AI eliminates jobs, not humans.” So I keep reminding myself: My children must become “AI commanders,” not mere “skill operators.” Only then can they carve out a place in this upheaval.

Today, I visited Manus’ website, naively hoping to apply for an invitation code. A Latin motto caught my eye: “Mens et Manus” (Mind and Hand). Originally, it signified Manus’ ability to translate intelligence into tangible outcomes. But now, I reinterpret it as a mantra: When AI becomes the “hand,” we must sharpen the “mind.”

As a mother, I still don’t have all the answers. But I know this: Rather than fearing AI’s rise, we must teach our children to coexist with it – to nurture curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in an uncertain world.

For the first time, I’ll introduce my 6-year-old to this “new friend” called AI.

Images: Siyu He, Manus