From self-driving taxis and autonomous trucks to 3D-printed houses and robot food delivery, technological advancement is reshaping our daily lives at an unprecedented pace. With the widespread adoption of generative AI, these changes are entering our classrooms and workspaces.
While there is concern about AI-related job displacement, early research suggests that AI will augment the work we do, not replace it entirely. The World Economic Forum notes that while “information gathering and simple decision-making are likely to be fully automated,” more complex human skills remain essential. This shift to AI-augmented work is already underway. McKinsey reports that as of fall 2024, 90% of surveyed employees aged 35-44 feel comfortable using AI tools at work, while 68% of managers recommend that their employees use it. In other words, AI proficiency is becoming a workplace expectation rather than a specialized skill.
LinkedIn’s COO Daniel Shapero recently shared an interview question he uses in hiring: “Tell me a story about how you use AI in your work or home.” Contrary to fears that AI might diminish human value, this question instead highlights what makes us human: the ability to tell stories. Storytelling taps into our creativity, our experiences, and our communication abilities. Often these abilities start in our classrooms.
In the past, education has emphasized content knowledge and memorization-based assessments. But in an era where AI can provide information instantly, employers are seeking capabilities other than simple fact recall. According to Newman University, employers’ most desired skills are the following:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Professionalism and strong work ethic
- Oral and written communication skills
- Leadership
Like storytelling, these skills center around distinctly human capabilities that AI cannot replicate. AI lacks the emotional intelligence to understand nuanced human interactions; it cannot display genuine empathy to make meaningful connections or combine intuition with innovative thinking. As teachers, we need to prepare students for a future not only where AI will be a standard tool but that also needs workers with skills that AI doesn’t have.
In our classrooms, let’s emphasize the 4 Cs: Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. These skills aren’t just complementary to AI—they’re essential for using it effectively. Here are a few practical approaches for developing these skills:
Support Interactive Learning with AI: Encourage students to experiment with AI tools through creating prompts and analyzing the tools’ output. These interactions allow students to deepen understanding of AI’s capabilities and practice critical thinking.
Explore Creative Production: Have students create videos, texts, and presentations using AI tools. This provides additional practice with AI while developing their communication skills and creative vision.
Emphasize Revision: Since AI lacks awareness of specific audiences and purposes, teaching revision is more crucial than ever. Help students understand how to adapt AI-generated content to communicate with their intended audience and for their intended purpose.
Encourage a Partnership Approach: Most importantly, teach students to work with AI rather than letting AI work for them. Position AI as a tool that can enhance their ideas, not replace their unique thoughts and efforts.
In this age of AI, workplaces aren’t hiring robots—they’re hiring human beings who can creatively and effectively use AI tools. The human element of work is becoming more crucial, not less.
Our responsibility as educators is to prepare our students to answer Daniel Shapero’s question–to develop uniquely human skills while teaching them to leverage these new tools.
Helping students craft their own AI stories can tap students into their humanity, prepare them for their lives beyond school, and perpetuate the need for human-powered work.
Discover more strategies for teaching effective AI use in Aaron and Jason’s new book Future-Ready Teaching with AI.
