Indian students fear AI boosts speed but hurts deep learning
London: A majority of Indian students worry that while AI helps them work faster, they are not learning material as deeply, according to a new global survey released in the UK this week.
More than eight in 10 (82 per cent) of the 758 Indian students surveyed as part of over 6,000 worldwide for the ‘HP Futures 2026’ found that when they want to retain material, young learners still reach for analogue methods such as printing or handwriting notes.
The survey also revealed that Indian students believe artificial intelligence alongside durable skills, such as creativity and critical thinking, are key for the future job market.
“Educators, policymakers and employers share a responsibility to prepare young people for the opportunities and challenges they will encounter throughout their lives and careers,” said David McQuarrie, Chief Commercial Officer at HP and Chair of HP Futures.
“As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms how we learn and work, that responsibility has never been more important. Education systems must do more to help students develop, demonstrate and continuously strengthen the capabilities that will remain valuable regardless of how technology evolves,” he said.
Led by information technology major HP, the Global Learning Council, and the Education Leaders Forum, the ‘HP Futures’ report also convened 58 education, policymaking and future of work leaders to examine how education systems can equip young people for the future of work.
Students believe AI will create more career opportunitiesIt found that despite worries over the risk of cognitive atrophy, Indian students are optimistic about their future in an AI-driven world. Three-quarters (78 per cent) of students believe AI will create more career opportunities than it will take away.
The survey also found 87 per cent of students feel confident they will be able to use AI tools effectively and responsibly in their future careers, while 92 per cent believe their education is preparing them for work.
Mayank Dhingra, Director and Global Head – Education Business and Strategy at HP, said: “Most strikingly, Indian students warned that while they feel AI-confident and AI is helping them to work faster, they are concerned that they are not learning material as deeply.
“It is vital that student voices are prominent in the conversation as education systems make decisions around the future of curricula and assessment models.”
Policymakers asked to help students build durable skillsThe report called on policymakers in India and worldwide to develop clear blueprints for how to help students build the durable skills that will be essential in workplaces of the future, and to ensure that these are not treated as secondary or extracurricular.
It also called on policymakers to keep literacy, numeracy and identity-forming learning at the core of education, while using creative, hands-on approaches to deliver fundamentals and durable skills simultaneously.
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