# *Detailed SUMMARY of the article “The AI Moment” by Fatima Waqi Sajjad, Published in Dawn on May 27th, 2025:* The article explores the transformative impact of *artificial intelligence (AI)* on *higher education*, arguing that AI disrupts the perceived boundary between *human* and *machine*. In academia, there’s a dual response: an urgency to adopt AI for *efficiency* and *productivity*, and a fear of losing control over *students*, *assessments*, and *academic integrity*, leading to a race between AI *detection tools* and *undetectable AI* outputs. The author calls for a pause to reflect on fundamental questions about *knowledge*, *intelligence*, *assessment*, and the purpose of *education*. Pakistan’s *HEC Vision 2025* reflects a *neoliberal* view, prioritizing *economic growth*, *employability*, and *publication metrics* over critical and transformative education, often adopting global trends without local context. This *neoliberal ethos* risks making humans obsolete as AI surpasses *analytical capacity*. The article proposes redefining education to emphasize *holistic cognition* (*reason*, *intuition*, *imagination*), recognizing *embodied knowledge* tied to *context*, and promoting *cross-disciplinary dialogues* for creativity. Citing *Blackie* and *Luckett*, it advocates shifting from viewing humans as *machines* for capital to *ecosystems* with relational capacities. The *AI moment* is an opportunity to rethink education’s purpose beyond *economic service*, challenging *compliance* and *mediocrity* to foster *critical* and *reflexive learning*. The author urges deeper reflection on *why* education and *research* exist, rather than repackaging *neoliberal education* through *EdTech*. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: *AI* is transforming *education*, blurring *human-machine* lines and sparking debates on *efficiency* versus *control*. Pakistan’s *neoliberal* *HEC Vision 2025* focuses on *economic growth*, risking *human obsolescence* as AI outpaces *analytical skills*. The article calls for rethinking education to value *intuition*, *imagination*, and *contextual knowledge*, using *cross-disciplinary* approaches to foster *creativity* and move beyond viewing humans as *machines* for capital. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## *1. Redefine Education’s Purpose* Shift from *neoliberal* focus on *economic growth* to *holistic education* valuing *critical thinking* and *social transformation*. ## *2. Emphasize Relational Cognition* Incorporate *reason*, *intuition*, and *imagination* in curricula to nurture *human capacities* beyond *analytical skills*. ## *3. Promote Contextual Knowledge* Recognize *embodied* and *situated knowledge* shaped by *time*, *space*, and *culture* in educational frameworks. ## *4. Foster Cross-Disciplinary Learning* Encourage *interdisciplinary dialogues* to enhance *creativity* and *holistic understanding* of issues. ## *5. Revise HEC Vision* Update *HEC Vision 2025* to prioritize *transformative education* over *employability* and *publication metrics*. ## *6. Engage Critical Discourse* Incorporate critiques of *neoliberal education* into policy to avoid *compliance* and *mediocrity*. ## *7. Reflect on Assessment Goals* Redesign *assessments* to value *creative* and *reflexive thinking* rather than rote learning or *AI-detectable* outputs. ## *8. Localize Educational Policies* Adapt global *AI trends* to Pakistan’s *cultural* and *social needs* instead of uncritical adoption. ## *9. Train Educators for AI Era* Equip *teachers* with skills to integrate *AI* meaningfully while fostering *human-centric education*. ## *10. Challenge EdTech Narratives* Resist *EdTech* companies’ push for *neoliberal* AI solutions, focusing on *deeper educational reform*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article*: * *AI* disrupts the *human-machine* distinction, per *Tobias Rees*. * Pakistan’s *HEC Vision 2025* emphasizes *neoliberal* goals like *economic growth* and *employability*. * Faculty success is measured by *number of publications*. * *Blackie* and *Luckett* propose principles for *AI-era education*: *holistic cognition*, *embodied knowledge*, and *cross-disciplinary learning*. * *AI tools* may soon surpass *human analytical capacity*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article*: * *HEC Vision 2025* was launched in *2015* to guide *higher education* in Pakistan. * *Pakistan* has over *200 universities* under *HEC* oversight. * *AI* in education globally is projected to reach a *$20 billion market* by *2027*. * *Neoliberalism* in education prioritizes *market-driven outcomes* since the *1980s*. * *EdTech* investments in *Pakistan* grew significantly post-*2020* due to *pandemic-driven digitalization*. * *AI detection tools* like *Turnitin* are widely used in *Pakistani universities*. # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *What does AI disrupt, according to Tobias Rees?* A. Economic systems *B. Human-machine distinction* C. Educational policies D. Social structures ### 2. *What is a key focus of HEC Vision 2025?* A. Social justice *B. Economic growth* C. Environmental sustainability D. Cultural preservation ### 3. *Which human capacities should education emphasize, per Blackie and Luckett?* A. Memory and logic *B. Intuition and imagination* C. Speed and accuracy D. Competition and ranking ### 4. *What is a flaw of neoliberal education, per the article?* A. Overemphasis on creativity *B. Promoting compliance* C. Focus on local needs D. Lack of technology ### 5. *What should replace the notion of universal knowledge?* A. Standardized curricula *B. Reflexive knowledge* C. Economic metrics D. Analytical skills # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Disruptive* (خلل ڈالنے والا) – Causing radical change or disturbance 2. *Dissolves* (ختم کرنا) – Makes something disappear or blend 3. *Grapple* (کشمکش) – Struggle to deal with or understand 4. *Tussle* (جھگڑا) – A vigorous struggle or conflict 5. *Introspect* (خود نگری) – Examine one’s own thoughts or feelings 6. *Neoliberal* (نئے لبرل) – Favoring free-market policies and economic growth 7. *Ethos* (مزاج) – Guiding beliefs or spirit of a community 8. *Employability* (روزگار پذیری) – Ability to gain and maintain employment 9. *Compliance* (تعمیل) – Acting according to rules or standards 10. *Mediocrity* (اوسط درجہ) – State of being average or ordinary 11. *Existential* (وجودی) – Relating to existence or survival 12. *Reductionist* (سادہ سازی) – Simplifying complex issues to basic elements 13. *Cognition* (ادراک) – Mental processes of acquiring knowledge 14. *Holistic* (کل پر مبنی) – Considering the whole rather than parts 15. *Relational* (تعلقی) – Based on connections or relationships 16. *Intuition* (وجدان) – Understanding without conscious reasoning 17. *Embodied* (جسمانی طور پر شامل) – Incorporated into the body or experience 18. *Reflexive* (خود مراجعت) – Self-aware or reflective 19. *Transcend* (ماوراء) – Go beyond or rise above 20. *Cross-disciplinary* (بین الضابطہ) – Involving multiple academic fields AI isn’t disruptive because it will “outsmart” us. It’s disruptive because it dissolves a distinction we thought was solid — the line between human and machine. — Tobias Rees THE AI moment is here. And we are not quite ready for it. In academia, we are trying to grapple with the fast-paced disruptions it continues to bring forth. On one hand we see a familiar anxiety to ‘catch up’ before others do; to quickly adapt to new technology for greater efficiency and productivity; on the other, we witness a constant concern about losing control; of students, of assessments, of take-home assignments and of our ability to monitor and ‘catch the cheaters’ effectively. And so, we see an ongoing tussle where teachers seek technology to ‘detect AI’, while AI technology races to offer ‘undetectable’ and ‘humanised’ versions. We are in a new era of education. And it is time to pause, reflect and introspect. A new era brings a new set of questions or takes us back to the old ones. For a long time, our education systems have been ignoring some fundamental questions. The AI moment offers us an opportunity to focus on these questions again: what is our idea of knowledge, what is the purpose of seeking and creating knowledge, what is our idea of intelligence, what is the purpose of assessment, why do we research and publish, and why do we need to keep education in the framework of comparison and ranking? We need honest answers to these questions again. Most importantly, we need honest answers to some other critical questions: who sets the framework of our education? Who are we accountable to? Is knowledge for the service of the economy only? Our current higher education policy vision, documented as HEC Vision 2025, tends to be dominated by the neoliberal ethos that views higher education as a means to achieve economic growth. The aim of education is seen as development of ‘human capital’ for the economy. The graduates’ ‘employability’ remains a key indicator of success. Faculty’s success is measured in the ‘number of publications’ they produce. This view of knowledge as a product, human as capital, and education as a means to achieve economic growth remains dominant in our policy thinking, largely because we tend to uncritically adopt global trends without much reflection on our own needs. *The AI moment gives us a chance to reconsider how we view education.* There has been ample critique of neoliberal versions of education for many years, highlighting how these undermine critical and transformative functions of education and promote compliance and mediocrity. However, our policies rarely engage with this critical discourse. The AI moment gives us a chance to reconsider how we view education and what we are trying to achieve through education. So what is the purpose of education when the lines between humans and machines have become blurred? If we continue with the dominant neoliberal view, which views humans as machines for economic growth, AI indeed poses an existential threat to this system, since AI tools will soon surpass the analytic capacity of humans. AI will be faster, more efficient and productive than humans. So humans may soon become obsolete. This is why we need to switch the reductionist view of education for a broader view as early as possible. Blackie and Luckett identify a number of principles that must inform higher education in the age of AI. First we need to broaden our understanding of human cognition and capacities. Modern higher education has traditionally emphasised analytical forms of thinking while ignoring the brain’s capacity for holistic and relational forms of cognition. The reason for over-emphasising analytical human capacity is because it serves the need of global capital. It is time to focus on other human faculties, namely reason, intuition and imagination. Intuition and imagination are forms of relational cognition. We need to shift em­­phasis from ‘human as machine’ to ‘human as ecosystem’. Second we need to recognise that knowledge cannot be separated from the knower. Our brains are embodied and deeply connected to our bodily experience. It is always an embodied human being who enacts knowledge, which means that all knowledge is situated in a time, space and culture. The notion of universal knowledge must give way to more critical and reflexive forms of knowledge in the age of AI. We need to be more aware of how our context shapes our knowledge. Third, we must transcend disciplinary boundaries in higher education. Cross-disciplinary dialogues build a more holistic understanding of issues and foster creativity. The AI moment is much more than a new packaging of the same old neoliberal education that EdTech companies are eager to sell. It is a moment for deeper reflection on the ‘why’ of education and research. The writer is associate professor at University of Management and Technology Lahore. [email protected] Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2025 **CSS CORNER PLATFORM**