Practical implications

There are practical implications as well. If AI reduces the time required for students to master core academic subjects, then schools must rethink the use of time. Hours saved from rote memorisation or repetitive drills can be reinvested in developing future-ready skills. These include financial literacy, entrepreneurship, ethical reasoning, digital fluency, and cross-cultural communication. Employers across every sector repeatedly tell us they value adaptability, problem-solving, and teamwork. AI provides the space to make those skills central to the school day.

We must also recognise the equity challenge. The benefits of AI will not be evenly distributed. Premium versions of AI platforms are already far more effective than free tools. Families with resources can afford access while others may be left behind. If schools and governments do not step in to ensure equitable access, the digital divide of the last generation will widen into an AI divide in this one. Ensuring access, while also teaching students how to use AI responsibly, must become part of the education mandate.

Challenge for higher education

Higher education faces an equally profound challenge. If AI can write a research paper on Shakespeare or generate complex code, then universities must ask themselves why they are assigning these tasks at all. The answer may not be to double down on surveillance and detection, but rather to rethink the assignments themselves. Students should not be asked to mimic the work of scholars but to engage with knowledge in ways that are deeply human. Discussion, debate, reflection, and ethical decision-making will matter more than the polished output of an algorithm.

For a country like the United Arab Emirates, which has set an ambitious national agenda to lead in innovation, this is a defining opportunity. The UAE has already made AI a central pillar of its economic and social strategy. Education must align with that vision. Schools here can become global leaders in demonstrating how AI, when thoughtfully integrated, can produce learners who are not only academically capable but also culturally grounded, morally aware, and prepared for the unpredictable challenges of the future.

Suad Merchant, Special to Gulf News

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