Mohammed bin Rashid: Every great idea begins with a great teacher

Dubai: Artificial intelligence will transform the role of teachers but cannot replace their fundamental mission of shaping character, values and human judgement, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said in a message to educators.

Sheikh Mohammed described teachers as “makers of generations” and “architects of minds”, saying their influence extends far beyond imparting knowledge. The message appears in The Letters, part of the second volume of his book "Lessons From Life", which contains 26 messages reflecting lessons drawn from six decades of public service.

“Life taught me that civilisations are built on great ideas, and every great idea begins with a great teacher,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

He recalled attending a discussion on artificial intelligence in which a young participant questioned whether society would continue to need large numbers of teachers when AI could provide students with instant answers and personalised instruction.

Sheikh Mohammed said he disagreed. "Education is not simply about building the mind, but also about shaping the character that uses it, developing ways of thinking and decision making, and establishing the moral, social and national framework that guides a person."

As machines become more powerful and expand human capabilities, he said, people will have an even greater need for teachers who instil values and wisdom and develop essential human skills such as communication, cooperation, empathy and understanding others.

The teacher’s role, however, must evolve. Teachers will move from being transmitters of knowledge to guides who help students navigate it, distinguishing truth from falsehood and what matters from what does not, Sheikh Mohammed said.

The challenge is no longer where to find knowledge, but how to use it and turn it into new value for humanity.

Teachers, he said, should increasingly help students ask the right questions rather than merely provide answers, because outstanding students are not simply those who know more, but those who question, imagine and apply knowledge to the world around them.

"Their role should also shift away from memorising and transmitting facts towards training minds to think and igniting curiosity, passion and imagination," the Vice President affirmed.

Sheikh Mohammed said teachers themselves must become lifelong learners and embrace emerging technologies rather than compete with them.

“The machine will not take the teacher’s role, but the teacher who knows how to use the machine will take the role of the teacher who does not,” he said.

He called for teaching methods in schools to evolve with the changing world, warning that educating today’s children in the same way their parents were taught would deprive them of their future.

Yet amid technological change, Sheikh Mohammed said the teacher’s most important responsibility would remain unchanged: building human beings who are loyal to their country, engaged with society, capable of expressing their ideas, able to use technology to achieve their ambitions and guided by a strong moral compass.

“Countries build armies to protect their borders, but they build schools to protect the future,” he said, adding that armies protect geography while education makes history. “And you are the makers of history and the builders of the future.”