The Future of Education

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to disrupt education practices, various stakeholders, from administrators and policymakers to teachers and students themselves, are wrestling with the purpose of education in the age of AI. Recent advancements in AI technology have raised questions about what schooling needs to look like for students to thrive in an AI-dominated future. These questions call for a reevaluation of the frameworks we use to make decisions about education policy.

In framing educational policymaking, Brighouse et al. have identified various educational goods and the capacity for future flourishing they build in our students. They, then, suggest a framework for decision-making that balances these educational goods with our distributive goals and other independent values, such as the parents' interests and what they term "childhood goods," or the impact on the experiences of childhood. 

The rise of AI has the potential to change how we prioritize the importance and even relevance of these factors in future decision-making. Specifically, I draw on recent technological developments and sociological literature on the future of work to suggest a reframing of which capacities enable flourishing and examine what impact that might have on future decision-making. By drawing on Brighouse et al. ’s framework, we can ensure that our decision-making at this crucial juncture balances prioritizing educational goods with our values as we reform our educational systems for the age of AI. 

Keywords: philosophy of education, Harry Brighouse, education reform, AI & education, education policy