Education in the Age of AI: Skills for the Future and International Cooperation
As part of the business program of the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow, a panel discussion titled “Education as a Tool for Digitalization: International Cooperation and Development” brought together experts to discuss the digital agenda not only as a technological challenge, but also as a question of skills, trust and the future of humanity.
The discussion was moderated by Anna Abramova, Director of the MGIMO AI Centre, Academic Director of the Master’s Programme in Artificial Intelligence, and Member of the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. She opened by asking how the world’s largest economies are addressing gaps in expertise and knowledge and helping people develop digital skills.
Evgeny Tonkikh, Deputy Head of Division at the Telecommunications Research Center, described how approaches have evolved since 2023 across countries of the Global South. India has prioritized digital literacy and alignment with the future labor market in its education agenda. Brazil has shifted its focus toward building the capacity of educators themselves. South Africa has raised the need for foundational education to help people thrive in the new digital economy, as well as mutual recognition of qualifications among partner countries. The discussion also touched on a persistent concern: brain drain. Countries investing resources in training specialists need to make sure their own national interests are protected.
International institutions such as BRICS can help countries address these and other challenges more effectively, the speaker noted. “BRICS countries and countries of the Global South have a strong need for concrete action. We are seeing the emergence of network-based, bilateral and multilateral formats, including in education. Frameworks for cooperation among academic communities are taking shape, allowing countries with greater resources in this area to help those with fewer resources train specialists and advance technology. In this sense, it is difficult to separate education from technology and everyday life,” Tonkikh concluded.
Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, highlighted three key priorities: digital literacy among the general public, the ability to adopt new technologies, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises, and the capacity to develop homegrown IT solutions.
Addressing AI’s impact on education, Gill emphasized: “We must have the ability to choose, and we must have the ability to act.” He said the UN had proposed establishing a $3 billion global fund to advance AI technologies. Plans are also under consideration to create a network of centers for sharing expertise and collaborating on the development of neural networks. By July 2026, 27 such offices had already been established across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Andrey Kucheryavy, Head of Department at Bonch-Bruevich Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications, chairs a research commission at the International Telecommunication Union. He acknowledged that science is advancing rapidly, making it essential to draw on new findings, research papers and standards. “A standard is the culmination of work by a great many people. But by the time it is published, a considerable amount of time has already passed. That is why we place great emphasis on participating directly in the development of International Telecommunication Union recommendations before they are published. Ninety percent of what will eventually go into a standard is already clear in the early stages of its development.”
Kucheryavy painted an optimistic picture of the future, arguing that the integration of science and education is inevitable. He said the development of the metaverse and holographic communications deserves particular attention today. He also shared an intriguing scientific observation: “It turns out that attention is the most important product of education. Simply allowing one person to see another in three dimensions can increase attention by 15% to 30%. That is an enormous effect.” Kucheryavy believes that creating a new world – physical, mirrored and holographic – will require international cooperation in education.
Ivan Tyukin, Professor and Head of a research area at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), believes students need to learn from research papers as well as textbooks, while excessive use of AI can be harmful to schoolchildren.
Tyukin cited a telling example: a 2025 experiment involving high school students in Turkey. It found that students who were allowed to use AI without restrictions performed 17% worse on exams. “Education must undergo a radical transformation, from a place where knowledge is simply transferred to one where we nurture creators,” he said. In his view, this will require more instructors who are practicing scientists.
To conclude the discussion, the moderator invited the experts to suggest ways to mitigate risks to the future of global education. Participants highlighted the need to regulate AI use, stressing that these technologies must be applied thoughtfully and, above all, safely. Forum attendees also proposed creating an international platform where countries could share and discuss their experiences with neural networks.
