The future of artificial intelligence: jobs, school and science
How will artificial intelligence change the world in 10 or 20 years? Honestly – nobody knows for sure. In the history of AI, predictions have often turned out to be wrong, in both directions (remember the “AI winters”). In this lesson we look at what is already happening, what is likely and what is uncertain – and what you can do.
This page describes the situation as of November 2026 and is updated once a year.
What is already happening
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| science | the program AlphaFold predicts the shape of proteins, which speeds up research into medicines; the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for this work |
| medicine | AI helps doctors spot diseases on scans; the decision is still made by the doctor |
| programming | AI assistants write and check parts of code; programmers increasingly guide and check the work of AI tools |
| learning | AI explains the material in different ways and makes exercises; teachers are looking for new ways of testing knowledge |
| everyday life | translators, voice assistants, navigation, recommendations, photo enhancement |
| “agents” | AI systems that not only answer, but also carry out a series of steps – searching, filling in forms, writing programs – under human supervision |
Jobs: what is changing
- AI most easily takes over the parts of jobs that are repetitive and done at a computer: copying text, translating routine texts, sorting documents, simple code.
- Many jobs don't disappear, but change: people work with AI tools and spend more time on checking, decision making and working with people.
- New professions are also appearing: experts in data, in AI safety and ethics, in training and testing models (see Who makes AI).
- Jobs with a lot of manual work in a changing environment (tradespeople, nurses, cooks) and jobs based on caring for people are harder to automate.
- How fast and how strongly the labor market will change – experts disagree. Changes are likely, but nobody knows the exact pace.
Skills that stay important
| Skill | Why |
|---|---|
| critical thinking and checking | AI makes mistakes; someone has to check whether an answer is correct and makes sense |
| asking good questions | those who know exactly what they are looking for get better results – from people and from AI |
| understanding how things work | programming, math and science help you understand and check AI, not just use it |
| cooperation and communication | projects are done in teams; AI doesn't replace agreement between people |
| creativity and your own taste | AI combines what it has seen; new ideas and the decision about what is good remain with people |
| lifelong learning | tools change every year; it is important to be able to learn a new tool by yourself |
Three possible paths
Experts imagine very different futures. Here are three simplified scenarios – reality will probably be somewhere in between:
| Scenario | What it looks like | What would need to be in place |
|---|---|---|
| helper | AI is a powerful tool: it speeds up science and medicine, helps with learning, people do more interesting jobs | good rules, fair access to tools for everyone, education |
| imbalance | only some people benefit; many people lose their jobs without a new opportunity; fake content confuses society | if the rules and education aren't adapted in time |
| uncertain leap | AI becomes more capable than humans in most thinking jobs; huge opportunities open up, but also serious risks | some experts think this is possible in the coming decades, others think it is far away or uncertain – that is why a lot of work is done on AI safety |
When you read predictions, ask yourself: Who is claiming this, and based on what? Do they have an interest in exaggerating? Both optimistic and frightening predictions should be checked.
What you can do
- Understand how AI works – that is exactly what you did in this course. Those who understand it are harder to fool and find it easier to use AI wisely.
- Learn the basics: programming, math, language – they don't “wear out” with new tools.
- Use AI to learn more, not to skip learning (see How to use AI tools).
- Make things: projects with the ESP32, micro:bit or Python are the best practice (see AI and the Internet of Things).
- Take part in the discussion about the rules: the future of AI doesn't depend only on engineers, but also on what society considers fair.
Activity: a letter to yourself in 10 years
Write a short letter to yourself that you will open in 10 years (put it in an envelope or save it in a file). Answer the questions:
- What do I use artificial intelligence for today?
- What do I think AI will do in 10 years – what will be better, and what worries me?
- What do I want to do, and which skills will I need for that?
- One prediction that I will check when I open the letter.
After writing, discuss the scenarios from the table: students vote on which one they think is the most likely, and why. The letters stay with the students (or with the class teacher until graduation).
Common misconceptions
- “AI will surely take all jobs” – changes are likely, but jobs change more often than they disappear; the pace and extent are uncertain.
- “AI is just a fad that will pass” – AI is already used in science, medicine and everyday tools; the question is how it will develop, not whether it will disappear.
- “Only companies decide the future of AI” – laws, schools, users and the public decide too.
Practice tasks
Try it yourself first, and only then open the solution.
- Choose one profession (for example translator, doctor, teacher, programmer, driver) and describe how AI could change that job: what it would take over, and what remains for people.
- Name three skills that you think will still be important in 20 years, and explain one of them.
- You read the headline “In five years AI will replace all teachers”. What questions would you ask before believing it?
Solution 1: example: a doctor
AI could help examine scans, suggest possible diagnoses, write reports and remind about therapy. What remains for the doctor is talking with the patient, the examination, the decision about treatment and the responsibility for it, and caring for the patient – as well as checking whether the AI made a mistake.
Solution 2: a possible answer
For example: critical thinking, programming, cooperation. Critical thinking will be important because AI will make more and more content, so someone will have to judge what is true, fair and useful.
Solution 3: questions for checking
Who is claiming this, and are they an expert? Based on what (research, opinion, advertising)? Does the author or company have an interest in exaggerating? What do other experts say? What exactly does “replace” mean – all of a teacher's work or only some tasks (for example making exercises)?
What's next
You have gone through all five modules of the course! What remains is the final project (in three options: without programming, in Python and with a device) and the review test. You can review the lessons in the guide.
Check your knowledge
Open the quiz
Quiz: the future of AI
1. What was the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry connected with AI awarded for?
2. What most often happens to jobs when AI is introduced?
3. What question should you ask when you read a prediction about AI?
4. Which skill stays important even with AI?