Why AI Is Just One Part of a Learning Experience that Prepares you for the Future of Work

How do we measure the success of education?

Idealistically, we might say education is successful when students become critical thinkers, good citizens, people who can self-regulate, adapt to a changing world, and build things that shape the future ethically and thoughtfully. Less idealistically, many would argue that successful education is measured by whether a student ends up in a “good” job (though what counts as “good” is shaped by culture and personal expectations). This tension is the starting point for a discussion between Ezra Klein, New York Time journalist, and Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, on what education should look like in the age of AI

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Even if we accept that education is largely about getting a “good” job, it still needs to be much more than a transactional process of delivering facts and knowledge for students to repeat in assessments. The future of work is deeply uncertain: we don’t know what jobs will look like in five or ten years, let alone what work will be for future generations. Technology is evolving so quickly that the specifics are very difficult to predict. Education, therefore, must focus on preparing people for uncertainty and empowering them with the agency and motivation to keep learning throughout their lives.

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Winthrop, in her discussion with Klein (2025), expands the purpose of education beyond mere knowledge acquisition. She frames it as also being about learning to live with others, knowing oneself, and developing flexible competencies to navigate uncertainty. This broader vision is vital, especially as AI can now provide facts and answers more quickly and accurately than ever before. If information is always at our fingertips, what else should we focus on and develop as our core skills and knowledge?

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The Limits and Promise of AI in Education

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Generative AI is undeniably powerful. It can personalise learning and adapt content for individual students. In theory, AI could act as a hyper-personalised tutor for every person as they move though a lifelong learning journey. We caution against this at NGL, and Klein and Winthrop highlight this concern too. The benefits of using AI in education only emerge when AI is embedded in a pedagogically sound framework and used intentionally by educators. Hyper-personalisation is not the goal; rather, intentional personalisation - where content meets students at their level and personal context is woven meaningfully into a learning path shaped by a knowledgeable educator - is what truly benefits students.

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If misused, AI risks delivering a shallow learning experience: lots of convenience and speed, but little deep learning. Used poorly, AI can let students bypass essential experiences of grappling with difficulty, making multiple attempts, and learning from failure. We don’t want students to become passive consumers or thoughtless users of AI. Instead, they need to develop confidence in tackling challenging problems and build genuine critical thinking skills, with AI as a supporting tool in these processes.

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Engagement and Agency

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A key insight for us at NGL from Klein and Winthrop’s (2025) conversation is the importance of student engagement. We recognise that engagement and motivation are cornerstones of effective learning experiences. 

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Winthrop (2025) describe four modes of engagement: 

1. Passenger (a student who is “coasting” or somewhat unengaged but still completing work), 
2. Achiever (a student who is chasing perfect outcomes),
3. Resistor (a student avoiding work or disrupting the learning experience), and 
4. Explorer (a proactive student who loves learning). 

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AI, if used carelessly, can create learning situations that enable, and potentially even encourage, “Passenger” mode. Students do the bare minimum by using AI to shortcut reading, writing, and thinking deeply for themselves. These students miss out on the growth that comes from struggle and exploration. 

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Preparing for an Uncertain Future

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Given the unpredictable nature of the future workplace, students benefit most from education that builds general, transferable skills: adaptability, critical thinking, creativity, and the motivation to keep learning. These competencies will help them navigate change, judge what’s real or fake, ask probing questions, and devise creative solutions. AI can support the development of these skills, but it does not replace the social, emotional, and ethical growth that comes from lived experience and human interaction, and it does not replace the value and impact of carefully and intentionally designed learning experiences. 

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Wisdom, Agency, and Community

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The goal of education is not simply to impart knowledge or train people for specific jobs, especially as subject matter knowledge can be accessed instantly through AI, and industries are evolving and changing so quickly. Instead, education should cultivate wise, versatile individuals who know themselves, can live well with others, are equipped to adapt to whatever the future brings, and who know how to be lifelong learners. AI can be a powerful tool in this journey, but it must remain just one part of a much richer, more human learning experience.

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