Machdel Matthee, a professor in the Department of Informatics in the University of Pretoria (UP)’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, delivered her inaugural address on 28 November 2024. The title of her presentation was “Being human in the age of AI: Rethinking 21^st-century skills”.

Her teaching and research initiatives focus on the skills needed to function in a technology-dominated society. She is passionate about providing quality education and promoting social wellbeing. Her research focus areas include computational thinking (the thinking processes underlying computing), critical thinking (the importance and role of critical thinking in the information age), information and communication technology (ICT) and education (the acceptance and use of ICT in education, as well as information systems education), and the societal implications of information systems, for example, the social aspects of social networks, the changing nature of human agency and fake news.

As background to her talk, she reminds us that, as early as 1982, Gordon Pask, a well-known cybernetician, argued that “the revolution from the industrial environment to an information environment consists not of technological change or changes in employment patterns, but of changes in the mental framework that makes our environment coherent to us”.

She describes information systems as an interdisciplinary field with a socio-technical focus. It is characterised by the interactions between information technology (IT) artifacts, and the individuals and collectives that develop and use the artifacts in a social context. Educational technology and education in information systems form part of this discipline. Her current focus is on critical thinking and problem solving. This includes skills such as design thinking as a creative problem-solving approach, and soft skills as a holistic problem-solving approach.

Contemplating the topic of being human in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), she took the audience through the concepts of 21^st-century skills, the role of generative AI in education, being human in the age of AI, the youth of today (our future decision makers), rethinking 21^st-century skills, and current and possible future research in the Department of Informatics.

She explains that the digital transformation agenda of recent decades, coupled with the advent of generative AI, has intensified the need for skills that can make sense of our computed reality. Since the introduction of disruptive technologies such as big data, AI, augmented reality, robotics, blockchain and cloud computing, a new set of skills is required for people to live and work in the 21^st century.

In this regard, she cites the 2023 Future of Jobs Report of the World Economic Forum, which gives the top 10 skills required in the 21^st century. These include analytical and creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, motivation and self-awareness, curiosity and lifelong learning, technology literacy, dependability and attention to detail, empathy and active listening, and leadership and social influence.

She furthermore explains that the Partnership for 21^st-century Skills (P21) distinguishes between learning and innovation skills, information media and technology skills, and life and career skills. These skills need to be developed in key subjects and across 21^st-century themes, such as global awareness, and financial, entrepreneurial, civic, health and environmental literacy. Learning and innovation skills include the so-called 4Cs: critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. The skills needed to function in the 21^st century therefore contribute to the mental framework that prepares humans for the digital age.

Researchers agree that teaching these skills is accompanied by various challenges, as they are inter-related and relevant across disciplines. “Traditional education systems are not necessarily conducive to the development of these skills. The onus therefore rests on higher education to get students to the required cognitive level to continue developing these skills at a higher level.” Scholars concur that humans must assume their place as partners in this human-machine world, not merely as consumers, but as active agents in envisioning and creating new and alternative digital realities.

“The use of generative AI has implications for assessment practices and learning outcomes in higher education classrooms.” Although it can have a positive effect on teaching and learning, it has the potential to encourage academic dishonesty. Without critical thinking, problem solving, computational thinking and creative thinking skills, students tend to be overly reliant on generative AI, and use it inappropriately and without good judgement. These implications have led to the adoption of new policies and learning outcomes. “Generative AI can be seen as the final impetus to reform educational systems: instead of focusing solely on the acquisition of knowledge, we can now start nurturing human qualities.” But what implications do these technologies have for being human in the age of AI?

She explains that, in 2013, she had considered the influence on the essence of the human spirit of the creation of a futuristic human-machine hybrid (or cyborg), as predicted by the American computer scientist Kurzweil. “Cyborgs are synonymous with the singularity: the point where humans will merge with super-intelligent machines.” Kurzweil predicted that cyborgs will have consciousness and emotions, and will be able to experience a deeper reality when everyday physical and psychological problems are overcome or when experiencing meaningful events.

In her study, Prof Matthee considered a cyborg to be an illustration of people’s innate desire to overcome the human condition. “Humanity is characterised by a constant struggle to find a balance between the superhuman and the inhuman as the extreme states of human spirituality.” She considered the cyborg to be superhuman, sketching different possibilities: the superhuman who will exercise the pure will to power (awakening the inhuman) or a person with complete naïve freedom. Furthermore, the assumption that cognition can be mechanised or formalised leads to the disembodiment of intelligence and thought. She sees the future of the human spirit as one that accepts mortality and fragility, but takes responsibility for its freedom.

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At the time of considering cyborgs and the future of the human spirit – in 2013 – AI was already in use. Although the conceptualisation of cyborgs was still far in the future, she argues that, about a decade later, the current AI technology is much closer to the concept of singularity than one would like to think. The new, extremely powerful tools make it easier to exercise absolute power, particularly through the malicious use of generative AI, such as fake news. “The ethical challenges and dangers of unregulated AI cannot be denied.”

Against this background, Prof Matthee considered the inherent characteristics of those we need to equip for the 21^st century: the youth. These students are our future decision makers: they are members of Gen Z and the upcoming generations. Furthermore, they are digital natives (born after 1995). They have never experienced life without the internet, and are always connected to their digital devices. They make prolific use of social media for personal and professional communication. They are adept at multitasking, switching their attention between different activities and platforms. They are aware of social, political and environmental problems; conscious of and often plagued by mental health problems; and accustomed to the view of the world as uncertain, risky and complex.

From a techno-philosophical point of view, she cites several authors who have contemplated the youth and the battle for intelligence. Bernard Stiegler, a French philosopher, expressed his concern about the influence of digital media and marketing technologies on the socio-cognitive development of the youth. Michel Serres, another French philosopher, considers the youth to have unlimited potential and to be exposed to the ideal conditions for radical inventiveness. Stefanus de Beer, a South African information scientist, believes that, in the battle for intelligence, inventive thinking is needed to fortify the human spirit.

Informed by her involvement in developing 21^st-century thinking skills among various audiences, Prof Matthee therefore argued for the need to re-evaluate and reconceptualise 21^st-century skills in the age of AI. In her 2013 paper on cyborgs and the essence of the human spirit, she had claimed that the real danger facing humanity is inhumanity. She now argues: Which skills or attributes should we hold on to if we wish to remain human? She believes the essential skills for humanity to include creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

Drawing on insights from philosophers of technology, educationalists and modern pedagogies, with human dignity and human agency as guiding principles, she continued to explore the enhancement of these inherently human skills to enable meaningful co-existence and co-creation with current and future digital technologies. “In the age of AI, our task is to fortify the youth by developing essential skills for humanity through education.”

Prof Matthee admits that the youth face important and difficult decisions. These young people are already, in some sense, an early version of human-machine cyborgs. Their young minds are digitally connected, and they are well equipped for the radical inventiveness of technology. However, they also have a huge potential, with these technologies in their hands and heads, to operate as “objects to think with”.

She remarks that one often hears the question: What can humans do that AI cannot or will never be able to do?” Phrased differently: Which skills are uniquely human? She considers this list to be getting increasingly shorter.

In response to this question, the philosophers of technology consider creativity to entail compositional thought, interdisciplinary thinking, holistic thinking and ecosophic thinking, moving beyond method. They classify critical thinking as problem identification within its context, and the courage and will to know and to think. They consider communication to be the ability to care for each other, ourselves and our environment. Their interpretation of collaboration also entails caring for each other, ourselves and our environment. They include other skills as well, which are essential for humanity. These are the ability to take responsibility for the freedom to choose, and the belief that we have choices and can exercise choices.

The industry specialists and educationalists, on the other hand, consider creativity to entail the generation of ideas. They classify critical thinking as being willing to keep on asking questions and questioning information, and structuring and identifying problems. They consider communication to involve active listening, empathy and understanding what it means to be able to “communicate” with machines. Their interpretation of collaboration entails being able to work with others and machines, to form interdisciplinary teams and to practice leadership. Their skills that are essential for humanity include grit, resilience, self-awareness and flexibility.

Education can therefore be seen as taking care of each other, the environment, ourselves and our technological creations. Critical thinking using AI is impossible without domain knowledge, AI literacy, algorithmic thinking and data literacy. The learning context of the future will often include the digital context, together with human-machine collaboration. Innovative pedagogies and alternative assessment methods are crucial. The essential skills for humanity therefore include taking responsibility, exercising agency, and engaging in compositional thinking, problem identification, holistic thinking, creativity, interpersonal communication, problem solving, whole-person development, grit and resilience.