Many people worry that in the age of AI, important human capabilities like critical thinking will decline. Some studies even suggest that when people rely on tools like ChatGPT, they think less deeply.
I believe there is no need to worry.
When humans invented the carriage or learned to ride horses, our running ability decreased. Did our overall capability as a species go down? Not at all. Humans evolve new skills whenever the environment changes. We drop outdated capabilities and develop more valuable ones with the time and energy saved.
The same will happen with AI.
What truly matters is not what skills we lose, but how fast we build the new ones that make us competitive. One thing is already clear: people who use AI well will outperform those who do not. A society that embraces AI will outperform one that resists it.
This brings us to an important question about education: how do we prepare the next generation for this reality?
I believe we should encourage competition.
Competition pushes people to build the skills that the world actually rewards. The tougher the competition, the faster students learn, adapt, and grow. If you visit China, you will see fierce competition among students, workers, companies, and even cities. People work extremely hard and use every tool, including AI, to stay ahead. They learn fast because they must.
Here in the US, we need the same mindset. Encouraging healthy competition is not always comfortable, but it is essential if we want to prepare our students for the world they will actually face. The goal is not to create unnecessary stress, but to build resilience and adaptability—the very skills needed in an AI-driven economy.
For now, the message is simple: in the age of AI, education should not protect people from competition. It should prepare them for it.
What do you think? Should education systems increase or decrease competition in the age of AI?