I run an AI powered tutoring company called Orin. We’re working with families across the country to have a positive impact on education with AI, giving me a leading viewpoint on where families stand on using the new technology.

Many of my discussions with parents are focused around understanding the pros and cons of AI, and how to position their families for success. By having these, I’ve noticed that I keep bringing up the same points.

So, I’ve written this post as a starting point for families looking ahead.

We’ll analyze the history of technological shifts like AI and look at what families of the time did to end up ahead. Then, we’ll close with an analysis of today’s world and AI.

Humanity has a history of creating new and potentially dangerous technology, but harnessing it for good. A clear early example of this was the automobile.

It’s obvious to us now that cars reshaped economic realities, particularly in rural and suburban areas. Families with cars had direct access to better education, employment, and social networks, creating economic mobility.

In 1920, only 20% of American families owned cars. By 1930, that number tripled.^[source] USDA field studies even noted sharp rises in rural high-school attendance due to the widespread adoption of automobiles.

Conversely, those without cars faced isolation and limited opportunity, perpetuating cycles of poverty or stagnation. Owning a car wasn't merely convenience—it became a defining factor in economic prosperity and class mobility.

Initially, the PC was relegated to wealthy families. While only 8.2% of U.S. households owned computers, 22.9% of households with $50k+ of income were already on the bandwagon.^[source]

Studies in the 90s showed the clear results: workers trained in computers earned 10-15% higher wages and IT occupations soon averaged $106,000/yr—more than double the US median salary of $45,000 at the time.^[source]

The impact of PCs soon compounded. Students could learn faster than ever before, so investing in a PC was a no-brainer for many families. It became an investment that not only provided more skills directly, but also bolstered skill-building itself.

In 1993 Krueger found that employees who used a computer on the job earned 10–15% higher hourly wages than similar co-workers who did not.^[source]

Most families chose to capitalize on early internet skills, joining an expanding tech workforce. They metered access (though most of it had to be metered due to dial-up connections and bandwidth limits) and focused on preparing their children for an internet-heavy world.

Now, we can look back and see that the gaps in internet access mirror American class lines: in 2000, 82 % of $75k+ households were online versus just 38 % below $30k, foreshadowing today’s earnings divide.^[source]

Nearly 60% of Americans work white collar jobs, and 95% of adults use the internet every day.

Just like personal computers, investing time in the internet compounded. Internet-literate citizens were able to learn faster than ever before, widening the gaps between them and everyone else.

Late adopter families delayed smartphone ownership while emphasizing in-person skills, often citing concerns about social media. While this seems to have provided some benefits to attention spans and mental health, it has also limited cultural education and media literacy. Mobile-first workforces are now the norm, and fluency with a smartphone has become a core societal skill.^[source]

Instead, most families opted to provide balanced access, preparing their children for mobile-driven job markets and educating them on media literacy. This seems to have reigned as the most successful approach for families, ensuring that their children aren’t behind on trends and technology, while maintaining proper online safety and mental health.^[source]

Today, we’re experiencing another revolution. New AI technology is already reshaping the workforce, and there’s no way to avoid it.