LONDON: Education systems must preserve “non-negotiable human skills” as artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in daily life and learning, a new report by the Future Investment Initiative has said ahead of its key summit in Rome next week.
The report, published on Friday, identifies judgment, creativity, ethical reasoning, empathy and reflection as essential to human development, responsible citizenship and meaningful work.
Drawing on research and case studies from a range of contexts, including work by the Center for Sustainable Development’s Task Force on AI and Education at Columbia University, the report says it is intended to guide educators, institutions and policymakers on how to adopt AI in a way that remains human-centered.
“The rapid expansion of AI compels education systems to examine how these technologies are reshaping the conditions for learning, teaching and personal development,” FII said in its report.
It added that while AI can expand digital capabilities and speed access to information, education systems must not lose sight of the human capacities that remain central to learning and the future of work.
AI has moved rapidly from a niche technology to a routine part of daily life over the past four years, reshaping communication, learning and work.
The report said the question is no longer what AI systems can do, but what remains “irreducibly human.”
It added: “Education systems that fail to teach these skills are not just incomplete — they will produce people unprepared for a world of work with AI as a learning and teaching tool.”
The report divides the relevant capabilities into two groups: “non-negotiable” human skills and “AI-adjacent” skills.
Non-negotiable skills include critical thinking — the ability to question sources, detect bias, weigh evidence and reach conclusions independent of algorithms or authority — as well as ethical reasoning, empathy, creativity, metacognition, collaboration and the will to learn, among others.
AI-adjacent skills — which FII says help people use AI purposefully and critically rather than simply relying on it — include AI literacy, prompt design, data fluency and the ability to evaluate AI outputs critically.
The report also points to examples of AI already being used by students, teachers and universities.
These include students in Seattle using translation and pronunciation tools to learn another language, and a University of Nairobi pilot involving an AI-supported writing tool to help students improve drafts and receive feedback in a large-class setting.
A survey by the Digital Education Council found that in 2025 more than half of 3,839 students across 16 countries interacted with AI on a daily basis. It said 86 percent used AI in their studies, with 54 percent using it weekly and 24 percent daily.
The report said education stakeholders need to engage with AI “critically and thoughtfully” as the technology becomes embedded in classrooms, universities and training environments.
It added that AI should be treated as a tool to support learning, not replace the effort, judgment and human interaction that underpins it.
The FII PRIORITY Europe 2026 Summit will take place in Rome from June 17-19 under the theme “Europe Reimagined: Capital, Sovereignty & Strategic Autonomy.”
It will bring together investors, policymakers and innovators to examine how capital can support Europe’s long-term competitiveness, with AI expected to be a key part of the discussion.
