Artificial intelligence is transforming education at a pace that compels us to rethink how we teach, how we learn and the extent to which we wish to delegate certain human capabilities to technology.

We spoke with Dr Núria Oliver, director and founder of ELLIS Alicante, part of the European network of centres of excellence in artificial intelligence, and holder of a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), about these challenges and the ideas she explored in her inaugural lecture for the start of the 2026–2027 academic year at UIC, entitled “Towards Socially Sustainable Artificial Intelligence”.

AI is rapidly changing the way we access knowledge. What impact is it already having on higher education?

The impact of artificial intelligence on education is perhaps one of the most significant, as it is challenging the traditional educational model based on the one-way transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. We are witnessing significant changes, including a decline in class attendance, as many students feel that chatbots can provide the information they need in a more accessible way.

Likewise, when completing assignments and projects, most submissions, if not all, already involve the use of this technology. All of this has a direct impact on student motivation and on assessment itself. This new landscape requires us to rethink the educational model to ensure that students remain motivated and continue learning.

If AI can provide answers instantly, what role should teachers now play, and what should continue to happen in the classroom?

The challenge is to ensure that technology helps improve learning without replacing the processes that are fundamental to it. Education cannot be reduced to obtaining the correct answer as quickly as possible. We must continue to create spaces in which students can ask questions, evaluate information, develop arguments and build their own knowledge.

In this context, which human capabilities do you consider particularly important to protect?

A key principle should be to enhance human capabilities, not replace them. Even if models become capable of carrying out almost any task on our behalf, the crucial question is not what we can delegate to artificial intelligence, but what we do not want to delegate if we are to avoid losing essential skills such as critical thinking, creativity and reading comprehension itself.

We should not measure only what we gain in efficiency, but also what we lose in the process.

Why is it important to make this effort when technology allows us to do things much more easily and quickly?

It is impossible to learn without what is known as “cognitive friction”. The learning process requires effort and discomfort, but the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge through one’s own efforts is irreplaceable and is what drives learning.

As human beings, we tend to choose the easiest option, so the great challenge now is to have the discipline to tackle complex tasks whose benefits will emerge in the medium and long term. Learning is a demanding process, but the satisfaction that comes from achieving something through your own efforts is incomparable, and it is what truly motivates us to continue learning.

What should change, then, in the way universities assess students in the age of artificial intelligence?

Assessment will have to adapt to a context in which access to information and the ability to generate text, images and code are no longer what they once were. We need to ask ourselves what we really want to assess and design learning experiences that make it possible to verify that students understand, reason and are able to apply knowledge.

Ultimately, AI compels us to return to the fundamental question: what do we want our students to be able to do, and what kind of people and professionals do we want to educate?

Finally, in your lecture you spoke about “socially sustainable” artificial intelligence. What does this concept mean?

It means developing artificial intelligence whose impact is positive for people and for society. It is not simply a question of asking what technology can do or how much efficiency we can gain, but also of considering its consequences and how we want to incorporate it into our lives.

Technology should be at the service of people and help to enhance our capabilities. This should be one of the principles guiding both its development and integration into fields as important as education.