Raising Thinkers in an AI World: AI, Cognition & Civic Dialogue

AI is reshaping how we learn, communicate, and participate in society. But as machines take over more cognitive work, how do we ensure the next generation develops the core human skills—critical thinking, agency, judgment, empathy—that make civic life possible?

• How AI may erode productive struggle, metacognition, and deep reading
• The civic risks of outsourcing cognition to algorithmic systems
• How does constant algorithmic mediation shape attention and belief?
• How to teach children to evaluate information, argue constructively, and engage in public life. What core human capacities — judgment, metacognition, productive struggle, empathy — must we actively cultivate?
• How do we prepare the next generation for participation in an AI society?