As I consider how we cultivate human capability through education, I've increasingly reflected on integrating artificial intelligence-not merely as a global trend, but as a national imperative crucial for preparing young people for a rapidly evolving future.
These reflections are not final conclusions but rather a reframing of the challenges ahead, acknowledging we are at a pivotal point where long-standing assumptions about education must be fundamentally reconsidered.
AI is not a choice, it's a national necessity
In the UAE, adopting and advancing AI is not optional; it is essential to our national future.
AI supports economic growth, fosters sustainable development, and significantly enhances individual capabilities. For a nation like ours, with big ambitions despite our size, AI empowers us to scale talent, accelerate innovation, and sustain the remarkable progress made over our first 50 years as we move toward our Centennial.
Two points are clear:
- The quality and sustainability of our national progress depend on human capability.
- Education is our primary tool to cultivate this capability.
Yet this introduces a significant dilemma.
Balancing strategic urgency with developmental responsibility
There is understandable urgency to adopt AI swiftly within education. However, this urgency often precedes addressing the foundational question: How do we develop the human capacity required to use AI wisely, effectively, and ethically?
AI is fundamentally different from previous technological shifts, demanding a unique response.
Lessons from past technological transformations
Reflecting on earlier technological shifts provides valuable context. The emergence of the internet dramatically expanded educational opportunities through instantaneous access to knowledge. Yet, despite improving efficiency, enhancing lessons, speeding student access to reliable resources, and streamlining school operations, the core educational model remained largely unchanged.
This evolved further into the EdTech era, introducing digital tools such as whiteboards, video conferencing, and learning management systems. These technologies made education more personalized, modular, and data-informed. Yet COVID-19 starkly revealed the irreplaceable value of human interaction, underscoring the limits of purely digital solutions.
Social media triggered a deeper structural shift, transforming communication into constant, uncontrolled content creation. This shift required education systems to evolve structurally, placing greater emphasis on critical thinking and informed judgment in response to widespread misinformation.
Now, AI represents the deepest transformation yet. Unlike previous technologies, AI replicates aspects of human cognition and decision-making, providing immediate answers without clear questioning. This demands a profound rethink, beyond mere adaptation, to redefine what learning should entail and how we can safeguard essential human skills.
The EdTech era taught us valuable lessons. While digital platforms intended to personalize learning, they also exposed significant risks:
- Mandatory adoption without clear pedagogical rationale.
- Teacher overload from integration demands.
- Student engagement without clarity of purpose.
- Neglect of foundational skills such as reading, writing, and reasoning.
We must not repeat these mistakes. AI should not simply be an additional layer on an already fragmented educational system; its introduction must be strategic, timely, and purpose-driven.
Clarifying AI in education
To move forward clearly, we must distinguish the specific roles AI can play in education:
- AI delivering personalized education:
- Visible yet risky, requiring foundational skills first and significant shifts in pedagogical practices.
- AI as a learning tool for students and teachers:
- Essential AI literacy: understanding when, how, and why to use AI, recognizing its limitations and biases.
- AI as a domain of creation:
- Preparing future developers of AI with technical competence and ethical awareness.
- AI for educational operations:
- Utilizing AI in management and policymaking, independent of pedagogical transformation.
Clearly defining these categories helps ensure intentional adoption rather than generalized application.
Building AI literacy first
- Before broader integration, our priority must be AI literacy among students, teachers, and parents. We need a collective understanding of:
- How AI tools operate and are trained
- Potential biases and ethical challenges
- Safe, critical, and effective AI use
- Leveraging AI to enhance human skills and productivity
Without this foundational literacy, we risk creating passive consumers rather than empowered participants.
Prioritizing human capability
While AI enhances educational systems, it cannot replace human judgment, values, or decision-making under uncertainty. These human traits are crucial for leadership, citizenship, and innovation in the AI age.
If AI is prematurely introduced, we risk trading long-term human potential for short-term efficiency. Our focus must remain on people-not technology alone-ensuring purposeful, meaningful engagement with AI.
- Preparing students to thrive in an AI-centered economy demands a paradigm shift rather than marginal adjustments. This involves:
- Clearly defining core skills and values essential for future success.
- Designing adaptive educational systems that strategically integrate AI.
Education must be resilient and adaptable, ready to respond to unforeseen challenges and equip students with evolving competencies needed in tomorrow's economy.
Where we go from here
These reflections are a starting point, guiding the next phase of our journey. We need to:
- Reinforce foundational skills deeply in our educational system.
- Teach AI comprehensively, emphasizing both benefits and limitations.
- Transform pedagogical practices alongside educators.
- Support and guide future AI creators.
- Integrate AI operationally to boost efficiency without compromising vision.
- Above all, reorient education around human needs, not merely technological possibilities.
This is not resistance to change; it is embracing and directing change towards what truly matters. Amid rapid technological advancement, we must ensure our growth remains human-centered. Let's recommit to the learner, clarify their path, and build an education system that is not just smarter but fundamentally wiser.
Sara bint Yousef Al Amiri
Minister of Education
