Hannele Niemi says AI-era schools must keep social skills at the center

Hannele Niemi says classrooms should embrace artificial intelligence without losing sight of critical thinking, judgment and human connection. Her message comes as educators weigh how to use AI in ways that strengthen learning instead of replacing core social and reasoning skills.

Why it matters: - AI is changing how students learn, but Niemi argues the bigger risk is losing the human skills schools are supposed to build. - Critical thinking, communication and collaboration will determine whether students can use AI well and work effectively with others. - The issue affects what schools prioritize now, from lesson design to how students learn to evaluate information and interact in real settings.

What happened: - Hannele Niemi said schools must teach students to use AI while keeping thinking skills and social skills at the center of education. - Her comments followed a Solutions Review article that argued AI education should focus less on tools and more on judgment. - Niemi said the mission of school is to teach critical thinking, reasoning, analysis, summarizing, drawing conclusions and spotting misinformation. - Niemi also said schools must help students learn to interact, live and work with real human beings.

The details: - Niemi said students with strong thinking skills and learning-to-learn habits will have an advantage in the AI era. - She said AI output depends on the quality of user prompts and the user’s ability to interpret responses. - Niemi said learners who can reason, analyze information and think independently are more likely to get better results from AI. - She said thinking skills can be learned with AI and for AI. - Niemi said classrooms teach students to communicate, collaborate, resolve conflicts, respect different perspectives and build relationships. - She said AI can support those skills, but cannot replace real-life experience. - Niemi said educators should use AI to help students question information, evaluate evidence, identify bias, synthesize ideas and solve problems collaboratively. - Niemi described AI as a tool that should strengthen, not replace, the core purpose of education.

Between the lines: - Niemi is drawing a line between technical fluency and educational value. - Her view suggests schools should treat AI as an aid to learning, not the goal of learning. - The argument also reflects a broader concern that students may become dependent on AI unless they first develop judgment and social maturity.

What's next: - Niemi said education should continue to prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible and capable of working with others on real-world challenges. - She said human judgment becomes more valuable as AI becomes more capable. - Niemi is available for interviews. - More information is available in her University of Helsinki profile.

The bottom line: - Niemi’s message is simple: schools can adopt AI, but they cannot afford to stop teaching the human skills that make learning and work possible.