
Future of Education – why critical thinking matters more than ever
From Data Revolution: Exploring AI and Digital Transformation by Kate Carruthers - Data, AI and Digital Security Expert
April 9, 2026 · 32 min · Season 3 · Episode 18
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of critical thinking in education amidst the rise of AI, featuring insights from educator Ben Harris-Roxas.
Most educators are rushing to adapt to AI without fully grasping its implications – are we teaching students just to use technology, or to critically engage with it? In this episode of the Data Revolution Podcast Associate Professor Ben Harris-Roxas , a health systems researcher and educator, discusses the kind of radical shift needed to keep human intelligence at the centre of education’s future.In this eye-opening episode, Ben shares how the rapid rise of AI challenges traditional teaching models and why validation and critical thinking are now higher-order skills than ever. Discover how universities are experimenting with embedding AI into coursework, moving away from banning tools to harnessing their potential for deeper learning. We’ll break down: The importance of critical appraisal in an era of AI-generated content Why validation is a harder skill than creation and how to teach it Practical strategies to incorporate AI use ethically and effectively in assessments How education must evolve to preserve human creativity, messiness, and friction in learning The implications for workforce preparedness and the future of human-AI collaboration
People in this episode
Host: Kate Carruthers
Guest: Ben Harris-Roxas
Topics covered
- education
- AI
- critical thinking
- teaching models
- human intelligence
- workforce preparedness
Keywords
- AI in education
- critical thinking
- teaching strategies
- human-AI collaboration
- validation skills
- educational transformation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Data Revolution Podcast
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