Carson Daly says he is trying to steer his 17-year-old son Jackson toward a trade, and the advice was blunt: “Hey, man. Become an electrician.” Jackson is still looking at college, but the family’s next step sits at the center of a practical choice about work, training, and how fast high school is ending.
Jackson turns 17 at the finish line
Daly described Jackson as “17, a junior in high school,” while also saying his son is preparing to graduate next year. That puts the decision in a narrow window: Jackson is old enough to start narrowing options now, but still early enough to keep college and trade training on the table. Daly said, “Jackson’s looking at college right now.”
He also said Jackson has put together a list of colleges to visit, which makes this less about a distant plan than a live sorting process. Daly joked about driving by LIU Post on Long Island, New York, and pitching it as a local option for a freshman year close to home.
AI and a trade path
Daly did not frame the choice as college versus nothing. He suggested Jackson might do better by majoring in prompts of AI and learning how to use the technology to better a career, then immediately pulled the conversation back to hands-on work. “I’m trying to get him into a trade. I’m like, ‘Hey, man. Become an electrician.’”
He added another line that made the point in plain terms: “AI isn’t going to fix your AC system.” The remark lands as more than a joke. It puts a practical ceiling on technology-only career planning and shows Daly weighing a world where digital skills help, but do not replace skilled labor.
Siri, college visits, and next year
Daly made the comments at the TODAY dads’ annual Father’s Day event at Swingers Crazy Golf in New York City. He said, “I think the key to parenthood for me, for fatherhood, is trying every single day how to figure out how to slow the hands of time,” and added, “It’s the biggest truth in parenting, when we have our first kids and other parents say, ‘Enjoy it. It goes fast,’” a line that fits the urgency of a son who is already visiting colleges.
Siri tagged along to tour Clemson, South Carolina and Georgia, which shows the family is still comparing options rather than locking one in. For Jackson, the immediate choice is not abstract: college, trade training, or a mix of both are all still in play, and Daly is making his preference plain before graduation next year forces the issue.
