Navigating the AI revolution: preparing our children for a changed world

At the recent Carey Academy x CLOSA seminar, ‘Navigating the AI Revolution’, Churchill Fellow, educator and alum Chris Bush (2007) led parents, alumni and teachers through a thought-provoking presentation of how artificial intelligence is reshaping education and work and what this means for the next generation.

Chris opened with a story about his students using an AI tutor he created named ‘Mitch’ to access support late at night before exams. ‘They asked 1500 questions the night before their economics exam,’ he shared. ‘Their study scores improved dramatically. The only intervention that could explain that change was this AI tutor providing 24/7 support inside the classroom.’ 

From this example, Chris invited the audience to consider a deeper question: Why do we send children to school? Through his Churchill Fellowship research across the United States, Canada, England and Finland, Chris found that while technology is transforming learning, the fundamental purpose of schooling remains unchanged: helping young people learn how to think, not just what to know.

‘Knowledge is becoming outdated very quickly,’ Chris said. ‘It’s not so much about the specific content they learn but learning how to learn.’ 

Chris discussed how AI is already altering the global workforce. The World Economic Forum (Future Jobs Report 2025) estimates that 40% of skills will be transformed or outdated within five years, while employers increasingly seek ‘resilience, flexibility, leadership and lifelong learning attributes’. Yet, he cautioned, Australia has been slow to hold honest conversations about how to prepare students for this reality. ‘Whether or not we like it... the world has changed,’ he said. ‘To not prepare our students for that future starts to feel quite irresponsible.’

Throughout the presentation, Chris balanced optimism with practicality. He argued that AI, when used thoughtfully, can make learning more personalised and engaging. ‘AI can be that little assistant coach for each student, while the teacher becomes the head coach,’ he explained. Examples from schools in Texas, Finland and Singapore showed how AI is being used to tailor textbooks, guide project-based learning, and support students in multiple languages.

At the same time, Chris emphasised the importance of maintaining the human element of teaching. Quoting one of his students, he said, ‘Learning has a human element. I’ve never tried a teacher or tutor who could replace the connection I have with a real teacher.’

He encouraged parents to play an active role in guiding their children’s use of AI, learning alongside them, setting boundaries, and using AI as a feedback tool rather than a shortcut. ‘Students are already using AI,’ Chris said. ‘Our task is to teach them how to master it, to think critically, evaluate its responses, and use it to enhance their learning rather than replace it.’

We thank Chris for coming to run this session and look forward to hosting more educational seminars for Carey Academy.

If you have any ideas for sessions, please get in touch.

Kaushini Fernando
Alumni and Community Manager