Recently, Chris Clay, a partner and director of 'We Create Futures', spoke to our Kristin staff about future planning as we start to consider Kristin's next strategic plan. He raised the point that the future only exists in our imagination and that we can only speculate about what will come, rather than plan with any certainty. While most things have a near-certain probability, such as the sun rising tomorrow, many things, such as the takeover of AI and the impact of climate change, are less clear.

We know from history that significant changes have come before and that the arrival of new technologies can disrupt the status quo with benefits for some and calamity for others. By way of example, the invention of the internet was seen by some as a passing fad and by others as a mechanism by which many of the inequities would be corrected and universal harmony would be fostered. Neither of these has transpired. So, without wanting to get myself wedged into a rabbit hole, I got to thinking about what things we know, with near-certain probability, will still be valued skills and dispositions regardless of what is in store for future generations.

While many came to mind, there are just a couple I’ll share. The first is the ability to communicate and connect purposefully with other human beings. We need to empathise, take our lived experiences, and create meaningful relationships. AI doesn’t possess the ability to truly understand the nuances of a complex situation or to generate truly innovative and creative ideas and solutions; it follows a set of rules and predictable patterns, using only what has already been developed. But genuine relationships, ones that nurture community, foster imagination, spark debate and critical thinking, and exercise ethical judgement, will never be surpassed by a bot.

The second that surfaces is the ability to genuinely value diversity and to collaborate with those who hold different world views. With all that is transpiring in the world at the moment, it is evident more than ever that the ability to see worth in difference and to accept that we might just be wrong every now and then is crucial to solving big, worthy problems by finding common ground amidst our contrasts.  

So, while I feel excited about planning for our best estimation of what the future holds and ensuring our students do have the skills to be future ready, I am also feeling heartened that the art of communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and compromise are being taught and fostered daily through our programmes of learning here at Kristin. Our students are confident, wise, and preparing to take on whatever the future holds with a human-centred approach, which will never be outdated.