Over the past six months or more, has the manner in which you search and research information changed? Do you still use one of the more traditional search browsers, or do you use tools such as Perplexity, Claude, Gemini or ChatGPT?
In my almost five decades as an educator, I have never seen technological shifts garner as much buzz in academia and industry as AI and automation. From anxious questions about robots taking away jobs to excited chatter about machine learning and robotics as the skills of the future, our students are clearly tuned into the monumental transformations underway. And they are right to take notice.
We are now well on to the 5th Industrial Revolution. Artificial intelligence and its ability to mimic individual capabilities—self-driving cars, detecting cancers, even creating laws for humans— promise to reshape almost every occupation. Researchers estimate 30 to 40% of activities across most jobs could be automated using technologies already being piloted. White-collar, middle-skills roles we long assumed required advanced human cognition are among the most vulnerable according to studies from different consultancies. When calculators became widespread in the 1970s, there were concerns about how it might dumb down the thinking abilities of the students. So while we should take these headlines with a pinch of salt, it is clear that transformation has started. The question is what will this transformation feel like and will it benefit society as a whole or just the vested interests at the forefront of these technological innovations? So how might we, as educators, guide the next generation to not only survive but thrive during this transformation? There is no consensus around these emerging trends but it seems prudent to begin by focusing on three action areas— revamping skills development, focusing on the human edge, and governing technological integration responsibly.
Our curriculums can no longer end at digital literacy in a world where AI is automating narrow capabilities. First and foremost, students require technology-based skills like computational thinking and AI literacy alongside versatile behavioural strengths like creativity and complex communication. Students need to know how these technologies truly work so they can build AI-enhanced solutions rather than be blindsided by them or merely outsource work to AI. This strategic pivot towards understanding and co-creating with AI marks a significant step in the evolution of learning, where the focus transcends traditional boundaries, preparing students for a future where collaboration with intelligent systems is going to be commonplace— machines and algorithms as colleagues.
That said, technical intricacies are only part of the puzzle. Machines are great at optimisation, but (so far) less effective at abstraction, cross-disciplinary thinking and empathy—skills employers already stress their future employees would require. Whether it's leveraging right-brain strengths or doubling down on innately human qualities like humour, empathy and creativity, the future belongs to well-rounded ‘wholistic’ thinkers. In this evolving landscape of learning, nurturing these human-centric skills becomes paramount, capturing a harmonious blend of humanity and technology that will define future educational and professional success.
In this unanticipated era of cognitively powerful agents, the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita offers a profound framework for understanding the interplay between our intellect and senses, and by extension, the interaction between humans and AI. The Gita's allegory of the chariot—where the soul is the passenger, the body is the chariot, the intellect is the charioteer, the mind is the reins, and the senses are the horses—serves as a powerful metaphor for the modern challenges we face. This responsible integration of technology into our lives and learning environments embodies the essence of learning evolution, where technology serves to augment human potential rather than overshadow it.
Therefore, in a world where AI technologies compete with humans for cognitive supremacy, this metaphor reminds us that while AI may excel in processing vast amounts of data (akin to the powerful horses), it is the human intellect (the charioteer) that must guide and control these capabilities, ensuring they serve our deeper purposes and values. These will vary from society to society but the underlying concept of realising a just and harmonious society should be a common benchmark. This perspective, to harness AI as a tool, when guided by a well-disciplined intellect, can amplify our human capacities without overriding the qualities that define our humanity—nurturing, creative, empathetic, and ethical. It is incumbent upon all of us— policymakers, industrialists, technologists, educators and social and community workers— to anchor the onset of automation around core principles of a just and harmonious society that factors in everyone’s wellbeing, rather than assuming that it is the domain of big tech and policymakers or other vested interests alone.
Transformational historical episodes, from Gutenberg's printing press to modern hi-tech factories, have triggered similar ripples and reconfigurations across societies. With vision, foresight and compassion as our northstar, I am confident this generation will not just adapt but curate creative new possibilities in the emerging machine-intelligence age. But it requires us to expand our mental models of work, learning and fully imbibing the meaning and concept of being human.
As educators, ensuring students cultivate rich competencies across multiple domains takes on heightened importance in this context. Bhutan Baccalaureate's model of Five Areas of Development and its well articulated Learning Process, provides a comprehensive framework to equip young people for the ever-evolving AI-driven landscapes. In the pursuit of cultivating a well-rounded educational experience, it is imperative that we focus on augmenting the Five Areas of Development of our students. This involves the fostering of innovation that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, and the enhancement of adaptive cognition—the ability of an individual to adjust their thinking processes and learning strategies in response to new information, changing environments, or evolving requirements. Such attributes are designed to complement the computational prowess of Artificial Intelligence (AI), creating a harmonious blend between biological intelligence and digital intelligence. This synergy aims not only to advance human aspirations but also to forge a path towards a just and harmonious society.
Our approach to learning and education must also transform, reflecting a comprehensive understanding that the essence of education lies not in mere knowledge acquisition but in fostering the ability to learn, adapt, apply, and evolve continuously. This perspective is critical as we prepare our students for a world where AI is a ubiquitous companion in both work and life.
By instilling resilience, adaptability and alignment to their core values early on, we can launch new generations that can withstand volatile shifts in the economy while retaining their sense of meaning and wisdom. This is no easy task for educators. But by reimagining curricula, diversifying learning formats and focusing on watermarks and skills, we can respond to this watershed moment. With Serene Strength - the ability to make informed decisions in a rational and tranquil manner amidst dynamic disruptions - and strategic execution, we can ensure our learners thrive in an algorithmic age of uncertainty and promise. After all, it is highly likely that it is these young learners who will be upending life as we know it in a decade from now and we want to ensure they are not only competent but also have a strong moral compass. As these technologies grow increasingly sophisticated, mimicking the neural complexity underpinning human cognition, we must equip ourselves and our students with the knowledge to harness their potential.
We must embrace the promise of AI while safeguarding the essence of our humanity. This calls for a learning paradigm that honours the multidimensionality of human development— one that scaffolds cerebral proficiency alongside emotional and social ethics, and a heightened sense of spiritual and physical well-being. Our aim must be to cultivate Persons of Substance, those who do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, who can harness the power of technology for collective upliftment.
Above all, we must spark in our students an appreciation of aesthetics that perceives beauty as inseparable from justice, harmony and our shared humanity. This interconnectedness, deeply rooted in the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, will guide technological innovation towards ethical and harmonious ends, ensuring that as AI evolves, it does so under the guidance of enlightened intellect and human values.
If we succeed in nurturing compassion and intellectual courage hand-in-hand, our learning environments can become springboards for entire communities who shape a future where ingenuity, complemented by digital intelligences, amplifies our human potential. This promising tomorrow beckons us if we dare to reimagine education as the cradle for the 'wholistic' development of all learners, demonstrating watermarks of agility, adaptability, entrepreneurship, and a tapestry of values in the community and society we find ourselves in.