AI may be the future – but humans are, too

Ten years ago, big tech was booming, it seemed like every high school graduate was off to study computer science and universities all over the world were scrambling to add computing and data science programmes to their undergraduate prospectuses.

Now, data from the Chartered Institute for IT suggests that we are starting to reach a level of market saturation, and demand for standalone computer science programmes is beginning to plateau.

The twist? Students are increasingly looking for programmes that incorporate other disciplines or areas of study, such as digital media, interactive design and even music technology.

The value of human skills

Don’t get me wrong – any kind of expertise in computing, AI or big data is eminently employable, with consistently high employment rates and average starting salaries about £7,000 higher than the national graduate average. In fact, some universities are doubling down on their embrace of AI – the University of Southampton has recently claimed that it is “leading the way in AI fluency” by introducing mandatory artificial intelligence skills for all undergraduates. This aims to “go beyond basic digital skills, helping students develop AI fluency by exploring how to use AI tools effectively and responsibly, alongside understanding their ethical implications and impact on society”.

But students – and employers – are starting to understand that in a world that is increasingly automated and supported (or, dare I say, overtaken) by artificial intelligence, human skills such as creativity, communication and adaptability will be in greater demand for jobs in the future.

The World Economic Forum releases its Future of Jobs Report each two years; it provides a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of global labour market trends, featuring survey data from more than 1,000 employers, to forecast job creation, displacement and skill requirements for the next five years. The big takeaway from the 2025 report is that although AI, big data and technological literacy top the list of the fastest-growing skills, these are complemented by creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, along with curiosity and lifelong learning – in other words, skills in which only humans can excel. (Yes, I’m aware that robots are able to “think” and process complex “emotions” with increasing accuracy, but if you’ve seen Blade Runner or The Terminator you’ll know that this doesn’t necessarily end well for humans.)

What is happening in the workplace?

You might have embraced AI tools in your day-to-day work as a school counsellor. Perhaps you are a self-proclaimed efficiency junkie, and have incorporated AI tools to streamline your daily workflow.

However, my advice is to approach with caution: a recent article in the Harvard Business Review suggested that the adoption of AI in the workplace actually increased employees’ workload because of the novelty of trying out new technology. Like any new tool or toy, there was a sense of reward – a little dopamine hit – when people successfully used AI to help manage tasks. So they spent more time using it to chase that feeling of accomplishment.

Clearly, once the initial experimentation phase has wound down and people find that their workload has increased but their actual efficiency in completing the work has not, it becomes an issue. As the article states, “The productivity surge enjoyed at the beginning can give way to lower quality work, turnover, and other problems.” Yikes.

This was compounded by the fact that using AI reduces the barriers to starting a new or unknown task. So AI users were more likely to “take on a broader scope of tasks, and extend their work into more hours of the day” as a result. In short, AI is giving workers a cape of confidence but they are trying to fly without really knowing how.

Fast car – and no driving licence

And this, I think, is the feeling shared by many colleagues working in education: we have these powerful tools at our fingertips, and are constantly being encouraged to use them, but we don’t have any real support or institutional guidelines to help us learn how to use them effectively.

An academic study from February 2026 found that “the transformative potential of AI for instruction remains either unclear to practitioners, or beyond their current capacity for implementation.” This is a huge issue. You can own the fastest car in the world but if you don’t know how to drive, it won’t get you anywhere.

A 2023 survey from the Office for National Statistics found that a mere 8 per cent of respondents thought AI could improve their job prospects. If there were more robust, systemic training and professional development opportunities around implementing AI and digital technologies, this outlook would not be so bleak.

The danger of blind faith

School counsellors who lack adequate training or those who blindly put their trust in AI-generated resources, lesson plans, admissions guidance and essay feedback will become mere facilitators. And those crucial human elements of empathy, nuanced understanding and social-emotional development that the World Economic Forum outlined as increasingly necessary will slowly diminish.

People who initially chose to join a profession that, at its heart, celebrates the very tension between aspiration and risk, between rejoicing and rejection – a role that asks you to accompany a young person through the most turbulent, transformative and tenacious period of their lives – will become victims of their own hypocrisy.

Counsellors must continue to demand training and guidance for AI that is timely, relevant and contextual.

Confucius once said: “If you want to do something well, you must first sharpen your tools.” And school counsellors must insist on having the sharpest tools in the box to offer the greatest support to students.