Artificial intelligence isn’t just our future—it’s the present, transforming society faster than we ever expected. Jobs are disappearing, new ones are emerging, and industries are being reshaped overnight.
While the world races to keep up, our institutions—governments, businesses, and especially education institutions—remain stuck in outdated models. The biggest risk we face isn’t AI taking jobs, it’s not preparing for a world where AI can exist as a collaborator.
For over a century, schools have operated like factories, churning out students with standardized skills for predictable careers. But AI doesn’t follow a script. It can automate calculations, analyze vast amounts of data, and even mimic human conversation. What it can’t do—at least not yet—is think creatively, make ethical decisions, or understand human emotions. If we continue to be trained for rigid career paths, we risk being replaced in an AI-dominated era.
This shift is more than just economic—it’s existential. Work has long been a cornerstone of human identity, from the industrial revolution to the digital age. Unlike past technologies that replaced physical labor, AI encroaches on cognition itself, performing tasks once thought to require human thinking.
Instead of memorizing facts it can retrieve in seconds, we need to develop skills that machines can’t easily replicate. Creativity, ethics, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking should be at the core of education. The future belongs to those who can ask the right questions, not just find the right answers.
Though being able to generate reports, drive cars, and even diagnose diseases—it lacks genuine empathy. No matter how advanced AI becomes, it can’t comfort, inspire, or navigate the complexities of human relationships. In a world where automation is taking over routine tasks, emotional intelligence (EI) is becoming one of the most valuable skills a person can have.
Yet, we rarely teach EI with the same urgency as math or science. Prioritizing communication, collaboration, and emotional awareness will prepare students for leadership roles that AI simply can’t fill.
Some schools are already adapting. Kimberly Polin, Williston’s Academic Dean, emphasizes the importance of AI literacy for both students and educators:
“The answer to this question will be different based on content and age level,” she said. “It’s very important that teachers have a thorough understanding of what tools are available to them and to students so they can understand how these tools might be useful for creating or completing assignments. We have focused on professional development surrounding AI since ChatGPT burst onto the scene a little over two years ago. Our workshops have challenged teachers to experiment with tools, discuss strategies, and work to communicate their expectations for the use of AI on assignments.”
AI has become an integral part of Polin’sAP Computer Science class, where she uses it to generate interactive quiz questions that help students test their understanding. However, she also stresses the importance of foundational skills.
“In CS, like in writing, AI tools can be used to generate code,” she said. “However, I still believe it’s important to teach my students how to read, edit, and implement code so that in the future they’ll be able to borrow code generated by AI tools and modify it to meet their needs. For example, if I have no knowledge of Spanish and ask AI to generate a passage for me, it would be difficult for me to know whether what was produced actually met my needs precisely!”
Beyond computer science, Polin and MattieByrd McHold, our Library Director, have explored AI’s broader implications on school grounds, including ethical discussions in 9th-grade CORE classes.
“What AI was able to do last year is very different than what it can do today,” Polin said. “So, I anticipate that what our current seniors experience when they enter the job force in four years will be very different than what they are seeing now. As we did in CORE, I believe that the best we can do is to explore tools together as they emerge and continually discuss the merits of using these tools in different situations as learners and, eventually, members of the workforce.”
As AI eliminates traditional 9-to-5 jobs, the workforce is shifting toward gig and freelance work, and adaptability is essential. Companies are hiring workers only for short-term projects, automation is replacing full-time roles, and career stability is becoming a thing of the past. In this new economy, workers need to be flexible, entrepreneurial, and constantly learning.
This rapid development has also drawn the attention of tech leaders. Elon Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur behind the scenes of Tesla and SpaceX recently made headlines for acquiring OpenAI, the company that offers the product ChatGPT, signaling a push for greater influence over AI’s trajectory. Partnering with Sam Altman, the founder of Open AI, Musk was one of the co-founders of OpenAI as an initial nonprofit organization in 2015. However, after leaving the board in 2018, he has criticized its transition into a for-profit model and its partnership with Microsoft.
Once aligned in their AI goals, Musk and Altman now represent competing visions for AI’s future, reflecting broader debates about ethics, commercialization, and long-term risks. Musk is a vocal critic of OpenAI’s commercialization and has positioned it as an alternative focused on AI safety. Meanwhile, Altman continues to push OpenAI’s advancements, partnering with Microsoft and integrating AI into consumer products.
Though conflicting, their involvement underscores the urgency for schools to rethink traditional education models not just by integrating AI tools into classrooms but by ensuring students develop the critical and ethical reasoning needed to navigate their new reality.
Beyond just reshaping jobs, AI may one day redefine what it means to be human. The line between biology and technology is already beginning to blur—think brain-computer interfaces, AI-assisted learning, and even the possibility of uploading consciousness to digital systems. While this isn’t biological evolution in the traditional sense, it represents a new kind of transformation: a shift where human intelligence and AI could merge.
Whether this future excites or terrifies us, one thing is clear: ignoring it isn’t an option. Schools must do more than just add coding classes or teach students how to use AI tools. If we don’t rethink education now, we risk raising a generation that’s not just unprepared but powerless in the face of AI’s fleeting evolution.
We are at an inflection point. AI is neither an enemy nor a savior—it is a tool, and like any tool, its impact depends on how we wield it. The question is not whether AI will redefine our world, and it already has, whether we like it or not.
Instead, it is: will we evolve with it, or be left behind?
