AI wake-up call
Re: "Recruiters tout opportunities AI offers", (Business, Aug 25) & "Labour and the dynamics of change", (Opinion, July 27).
The arrival of advanced artificial intelligence -- such as GPT-5 and Gemini 2.5 Pro -- has brought a profound disruption to education worldwide. What we are witnessing is not merely the use of new technology to supplement old practices, but rather a paradigm shift: a fundamental rethinking of how knowledge is taught, learned, and evaluated.
In China, the government has mandated AI education across all levels, from primary schools to universities. Schools in Beijing will be required to provide at least eight hours of AI instruction each academic year, and AI competencies will be factored into student evaluations.
Meanwhile, countries like the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore are rolling out broad AI literacy programs. Google has launched a 12-month free Gemini Pro plan for students in several countries, equipping them with interactive learning tools and vast digital resources.
Yet this transformation highlights a stark inequity. Thailand has not been included in the global programs offering free AI access for students, nor has it developed a clear national strategy to embed AI into curricula. Without policy intervention, Thai students risk falling into a "two-tier" system of education where some nations sprint ahead into the AI era while others lag behind.
This should serve as a wake-up call. Thailand must move quickly to establish pilot programs in medical and technical universities, negotiate with technology providers for equitable access, and design frameworks that balance AI as a learning aid with safeguards against misuse.
The world is rewriting the very grammar of education. The question is not whether this paradigm shift will come, but whether Thailand will learn to speak this new language of learning in time.
