As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes classrooms, careers and the nature of learning itself, experts say the focus is shifting from traditional degrees to lifelong learning, practical skills and AI literacy.
From personalised education to changing employer expectations, AI is redefining how knowledge is gained, applied and valued across industries.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Rupa Popat, Founder and Managing Partner of Arāya Ventures, said AI offers a major opportunity to personalise education at scale. She said, “The greatest opportunity here is adapting to every student's learning style and needs, enabling personalisation at scale. For non-traditional learners, this can be especially transformative with different explanations for different learning styles and lessons adapting in real time. It's also a great opportunity for multilingual families where children can learn in multiple languages simultaneously.”
She cautioned, “We risk building a generation that can prompt their way to an answer without understanding the problem they are trying to solve. Critical thinking and questioning underlying assumptions are things that cannot be automated.” Rupa added, “Educators must embrace AI as a way of augmenting students in order to protect deep thinking, curiosity and active learning. That will be a fine balance to achieve.”
On the rise of AI and its impact on what young people choose to study today, and whether traditional degrees are becoming less important compared to practical and AI-related skills,
Rupa said, “AI is transforming the value of different types of knowledge. For decades, the formula was to get a degree, get a job and build a career. Today, many young people will be seeking to learn new skills, build projects, create proof of ability and opportunities will follow. AI is accelerating this transition because it dramatically lowers the barriers to creating, building and learning independently.”
She added, “Degrees are losing their monopoly as the only route. While traditional degrees remain important in fields like medicine, law and engineering, they are no longer the only pathway to success. As information becomes more accessible, employers are increasingly valuing demonstrated capability, portfolios, projects and real-world experience over credentials alone. The biggest opportunities lie in combining AI fluency with domain expertise in areas such as healthcare, education, finance or climate, while human skills like creativity, communication, leadership, empathy and judgment are becoming even more valuable as AI takes over routine tasks.”
“AI literacy is becoming a fundamental life skill”
On the importance of AI literacy, Rupa said, “AI literacy is no longer a tech skill; it is a life skill. A nurse who understands how diagnostic AI reaches a conclusion makes better patient decisions. The tool only works if you know how to use it well.”
She explained that AI literacy does not mean coding or building models, but understanding what AI can and cannot do, asking the right questions, evaluating outputs, and identifying bias or misinformation. “It is about using AI to enhance, not replace, human thinking,” she said, adding that the most effective users will combine AI tools with judgment, creativity and domain expertise.
Chair of the Board of Trustees at the University of London, the UK’s largest provider of international distance and online learning and the convenor of a federation with 17 university members, Kavita Reddi agreed, saying, “AI is a language, and AI literacy is fast becoming a fundamental life skill, not just a technical skill. AI will radically transform the workplace as it is used in roles across sectors ranging from finance, consulting, law and media. New jobs will be created, requiring AI fluency. AI literacy is knowing the right questions or prompts to ask; to sift fact from fiction by validating and querying information provided by LLM’s; the ability to recognise bias, and critically, learning the responsible use of data, and the ethics and implications of the use of AI. It is the ability to apply human judgement in an AI-rich world- and we will all need to understand how to use AI effectively, whether we’re searching for insurance, following a recipe, or studying.”
She added, “Universities have a unique opportunity to ensure that AI literacy is embedded in every subject. We need to teach how AI can be used across disciplines ranging from humanities, law and STEM, so students can adapt to emerging new job roles. As AI becomes ubiquitous, critical thinking becomes more valuable, not less.”
On AI reshaping education and careers, Kavita said the future must prioritise lifelong learning over one-time education in early adulthood.
She said, “One defining lesson of the AI era is that education can no longer be something people complete in their early twenties. As technology evolves, people need opportunities to update their knowledge and skills throughout their lives. Policymakers should create flexible pathways into and back into education. Educators should design learning that supports continuous reskilling and upskilling. Parents should help young people develop curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning.”
She added, “Careers of the future are unlikely to follow a single, predictable path. People will move between roles, sectors and professions more frequently, and success will depend on the ability to keep learning at 31, 41 and 51.”
