Annie, a Year 12 student in the English International Stream at German Swiss International School (GSIS), describes her ideal future career.

“My dream job would be one that applies AI and neuromorphic computing for real-world social challenges,” she says. “Something like a cognitive computing researcher for social good.”

It’s not the kind of traditional ambition that millennials once dreamed of, she concedes. “I think a major challenge will be navigating the modern nature of this path, which lacks the clear direction that usually comes with standard tech jobs or psychology roles.”

In fact, the career she describes didn’t exist a generation ago when young millennials were opting for more traditional jobs like doctor, teacher or engineer. A study published in 1989 in the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling found that 11‑year‑old boys at the time wanted to be athletes, soldiers or engineers. Girls mostly said teacher, nurse or flight attendant – traditionally female-dominated fields that economists refer to as “pink‑collar”.

Today, things look quite different. In Hong Kong’s international schools, young girls like Annie are envisioning a future beyond stereotypical female career paths. Annie recalls how an episode of Netflix’s hit sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror titled “San Junipero” first ignited her interest in AI. “It was really powerful to see the possibilities of a world where technology can be used to simulate and understand human emotions to enhance mental well-being, sparking my vision for creating human-centred AI,” she says. She names American computer scientist Li Feifei, a professor at Stanford University, as a role model.

Her classmate Joleen also has her sights set on a field that blends creativity and logic. “Mechanical engineering sits at the intersection of creativity and physics and is the foundation for building everything,” she says, explaining how her childhood love of Marvel and DC comics drew her towards the science behind superheroes.