AI is reshaping the world - why isn’t our education system preparing kids for it?

Although some of these stories can be hyperbolic, what’s not in question is that it’s difficult to overstate the influence it will have and is already having on our collective futures.

So as children prepare to receive their A-level results this week, the question becomes: Are we adequately preparing the next generation for this future?

A recent survey by career advisory firm Prospect found that 1 in 10 students were reassessing their job prospects because of fears around how AI will change the employment market.

Students are leaving the education system feeling underprepared for the modern workplace, and whilst wholesale change isn’t required, more needs to be done to ensure young people are taught the skills needed to keep up with rapid technological change.

One of the main issues with tech is that it tends to move faster than governments can react to it, making the latter ill-equipped to reckon with the consequences. The situation is no different when it comes to AI.

For example, how to use artificial intelligence effectively is not generally taught in schools, despite its massive and growing influence. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 74% of European tutors believe it should be part of the curriculum. However, instead of ensuring young people are equipped with the right tools, many schools instead have taken the reactionary step of banning the use of AI outright.

Furthermore, educators seem to be lagging behind the students themselves. According to US-based think-thank Pew Research, about a quarter of teenagers aged 13 to 17 used ChatGPT for schoolwork in 2024 - double that of the year previous.

There’s nothing to suggest that a similar trend is not taking place in the UK. In fact, a recent survey conducted by The Higher Education Policy Institute found that there had been an “explosive increase” in the use of generative AI in the past 12 months, with almost nine out of 10 University students stating that they used tools such as ChatGPT for their assessments, up from 53% last year. It’s clear that AI adoption among those in full-time education is growing at a rate that’s impossible to ignore.

If the education system in the UK remains resistant to change, and young people take advantage of this inertia—often because they understand that AI will significantly impact their futures—what can be done to address this issue?

For starters, we should consider making the teaching of AI skills part of the national curriculum. The British Computer Society recently called for something similar, seeking better education around what they call ‘modern, digital skills’ like using AI, suggesting schools should introduce a digital literacy qualification available from the age of 11. Their argument for wanting this is so children don’t get left behind, which is precisely the issue.

This also has the added bonus of teaching responsible use. One of the fears with AI is that it teaches young people to abandon critical thinking skills, but surely if there's any place in which the use of AI can be promoted alongside those skills, it's at schools under the supervision of a dedicated teacher.

Whilst AI is already playing an integral part in making the overall learning experience more engaging for students in the classroom, it’s worth considering whether AI could play a constructive role in the examination process itself. The easiest way to stop cheating is integration.

Instead of trying to stamp out all uses of AI, assessments could be designed to encourage responsible and nuanced use of these tools, assessing how students organise and source information. AI is already being used to mark exams, so it is not inconceivable that its usage be extended to those taking them.

Education, of course, should be seen as its own reward, but it can’t be escaped that we also see it as a way to prepare young people for successful and fulfilling careers.

The subjects they’re learning, how they’re learning them, and the way they’re being assessed require constant adaptation in order to keep pace with the realities of the modern world.

As a UK government report into AI in education puts it best: ‘the biggest risk is to do nothing’. With the right innovation we could effectively future-proof our young people. If we do nothing, we risk them being left behind by a world that is rapidly advancing.

Eilert Hanoa is the CEO of one of the world’s biggest ed-tech companies Kahoot!

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