The next generation of AI isn’t being built by programmers alone.
According to a recent Washington Post report, leading technology companies are recruiting economists to help understand how artificial intelligence will affect jobs, businesses, and the global economy. As AI becomes more capable, companies are looking for people who can answer a different set of questions: How will people use it? What industries will change? What decisions should businesses make next?
Those are the kinds of skills many Scouts begin developing long before they choose a career.
Several Scouting America merit badges introduce concepts that are increasingly valuable in today’s workforce. Programming, Digital Technology, and the new Artificial Intelligence merit badge help Scouts understand the technologies driving rapid change across nearly every industry.
At the same time, American Business and Entrepreneurship explore how organizations operate, evaluate opportunities, and make strategic decisions. Meanwhile, Communication and Personal Management teach Scouts to present ideas clearly, manage resources responsibly, and think critically, skills that employers consistently rank among the most valuable.
The lesson is bigger than any one profession.
Whether a Scout becomes an engineer, entrepreneur, economist, or business leader, success will depend on more than technical knowledge. It will require curiosity, sound judgment, leadership, and the ability to solve real-world problems.
Scouting has always emphasized those qualities.
A Scout earning Programming today may one day build the next generation of AI. Another Scout who combines that knowledge with American Business or Entrepreneurship could help shape how those technologies influence businesses, communities, and everyday life.
The careers of tomorrow will belong to people who understand both technology and people. Scouting gives young people the opportunity to begin learning both today.
