In Chapter Two, we break down education into our five stages of teaching and five stages of learning, which is the necessary precursor to considering how AI might make its revolutionary impact. We examine who, or what, an educated person might be, and how we have allowed far too narrow a vision of the purpose of education in schools and univ- ersities to continue across the world.

The first chapter described how education emerged gradually over time in three successive revolutions in response to economic and techno- logical change, shaped by societal, religious, and governmental needs. But what does ‘education’ entail? I am constantly surprised, when I ask colleagues in the profession the question, to be greeted by blank faces. If those most directly involved in education are not clear what the word means, including some leaders of higher education institutions (HEIs), it suggests some exploration of the concept is first needed, before as- sessing the potential impact on it of AI. Probing the meaning of educa- tion is the subject of this second chapter.