Is artificial intelligence making children smarter, or quietly making them more dependent? As AI reshapes classrooms, it is also reshaping ambition, study choices and the very meaning of success.
Nearly 42% of students now say AI will influence the careers they pursue, while 16% have already changed their degree choices because of it. For families who have long viewed education as a secure route to prosperity, this is no longer a distant tech trend. It is a live question about what children should study, and why.
A quiet but significant shift is already underway in schools and universities. Computer science enrolments fell by more than 10% in 2025–26, as some students worried AI might automate parts of the field. At the same time, employers continue to report severe AI and digital skills shortages. Entry-level roles, the traditional stepping stones into careers, are being reshaped or reduced as automation takes over routine tasks.
Yet this is not simply a story of loss. Universities are rapidly introducing AI literacy into courses, and employers are placing growing emphasis on human capabilities that machines struggle to replicate. The direction of travel is clear: knowledge alone is no longer enough.
In classrooms today, AI tools sit beside textbooks and laptops. Students use them to summarise readings, explain concepts and generate ideas in seconds. What once took hours of research can now be accessed instantly. Learning has become faster, but also more complicated.
The concern is not access to information. It is what students stop doing for themselves. If AI drafts essays, structures arguments and solves problems, are students still developing the thinking skills education is meant to build?
INDUSTRY EXPERTS WEIGH IN
“I do not believe we are seeing studentssimply abandon particular subjects because of automation,” says Nadim Choudhury, Director of Employability and Careers at the London College of Contemporary Arts. “Instead, they are becoming more sophisticated in asking how AI will change their chosen industry.”
“At LCCA, where we work closely with students entering the creative industries, business and hospitality sectors, the conversation has shifted from ‘Will AI replace me?’ to ‘How can I use AI as part of my professional toolkit?’” he says. “Creative students, for example, are exploring how AI can support ideation, research, design processes and productivity, while recognising that originality, storytelling and human perspective remain central.”
“My advice to students is not to choose a career based on what they think AI might replace, but to understand how AI will transform that career,” Choudhury adds. “The graduates who thrive will be those who combine technical confidence with uniquely human skills.”
“AI is likely to reduce demand for purely repetitive, process-driven tasks, particularly where the value comes from simply producing information rather than interpreting, challenging or applying it,” he says. “However, this does not mean human skills are becoming less important. In fact, the opposite is true.”
“Skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, emotional intelligence, ethical judgement and adaptability are becoming even more valuable,” he continues. “AI can generate content, but humans provide context, empathy, lived experience and strategic decision-making.”
“It is not enough to teach students how to use individual AI tools because those tools will constantly change,” Choudhury says. “We need to develop AI literacy: understanding opportunities, limitations, bias and responsible use.”
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“We are at a turning point where students are no longer limited by what they know, but by how well they can think,” says Nishma Patel Robb, founder and Chief Sparkle Officer of Glittersphere and former Senior Director of Brand and Reputation Marketing at Google. “AI has removed the barrier to access, but it has also exposed a deeper skills gap.”
“What I am seeing is not a lack of ability, but a lack of discernment,” she says. “Young people can generate answers instantly, but many struggle to question, shape, or stand behind them. The real risk is not over-reliance on AI. It is underdevelopment of judgment.”
“Employers are not looking for prompt engineers,” Robb argues. “They are looking for critical thinkers who can direct AI, not defer to it.”
“Yet education is still catching up,” she says. “We are teaching students how to pass exams in a pre-AI world, rather than how to operate in an AI-native one. AI literacy needs to move beyond tools into thinking,” she adds.
“Ethics, bias, creativity, and decision-making all need to be core.”
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According to Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, “Families are asking a simple question: will my child have a fair chance in the age of AI? The answer depends on the choices we make now: what schools teach, who gets access to these tools, and whether AI widens opportunity or concentrates it.
“Every young person should learn how to use AI. They should also learn how to question it. That means understanding how these systems reach conclusions, where they fail, and when a human being must take responsibility. The core skill is judgment: knowing when to trust a machine, when to challenge it, and when to lead with human values.
“AI education cannot become a privilege for children who already have every advantage. It has to reach every student, in every kind of school. Young people should understand AI as learners, workers, citizens, and future leaders. They deserve more than tool training. They deserve the ability to see the choices being made in their name.
“The future of work will reward people who can keep learning. Tasks will change. Whole professions will change. But the people best prepared for that future will be those who can solve new problems, work with others, and adapt without surrendering their agency. Technical skills will open doors. Judgment will determine who can lead. Ethics has to be built into AI literacy from the beginning. These systems are built by people, trained on human data, and used inside human institutions. They can expand opportunity, but they can also repeat old exclusions at greater speed and scale. Every student should learn to ask who benefits, who is harmed, and who gets to decide.
“The promise of AI should be measured by whether more people can see themselves in the future it creates. Our responsibility is simple: prepare young people to use these systems, question these systems, and shape these systems before these systems shape their lives.”
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Rajeeb Dey MBE, Founder & CEO of Hutora said, “There is no doubt in my mind that entry level jobs for graduates will shrink - especially in areas and roles we are familiar with today. On the other hand entirely new opportunities will arise not only in the form of new jobs but the entrepreneurial opportunities AI offers to young people.
“It is faster and cheaper than even to set up a new business. AI has levelled the playing field in terms of capabilities and skills - you no longer need to hire a team of 5 people to complement you in sales, engineering, marketing, finance. You can now vibe code prototypes, employ the service of agents and get going with limited startup capital.
“Therefore whilst AI poses a threat to entry level jobs of today it also opens up opportunities.
“The real question to consider is whether we're giving young people the tools to stay relevant as the shape of work changes beneath their feet. And right now education is lagging behind.
“I've spent 20+ years building businesses to help people advance in their working lives. The gap isn't necessarily between humans and AI. It's between people who know how utilise AI effectively and those who don't.
“Three things will define who thrives. First, learning agility - the ability to unlearn and relearn quickly, rather than just fixating on qualifications. Second, judgment. AI can generate; it can't yet discern what's right, contextually and ethically. Third is entrepreneurial instinct - the ability to reimagine the future.
“Our education system isn’t well designed to produce people who can navigate ambiguity, build things, and fail fast. In an era when AI is answering most exam questions - we need curricula built around problem-solving, not regurgitating content.
“AI also runs the risk of deepening inequality in society. Children with the best devices, connectivity, the most AI-literate teachers and inspiring role-models will get ahead faster than those without. Businesses, policymakers, and educators need to treat AI literacy as a basic skill, not an elective. Not doing so isn't just unfair but damaging to our society and future growth prospects - which is why I'm an Ambassador for Futures for All, a charity working to broaden access to relevant work experience for young people navigating this changing world of work.
“The common thread across everything I've done is that opportunity should be earned, not inherited. AI has to reflect that.
