A neuroscientist is calling for education systems to protect children's capacity for critical thinking, empathy and ethical judgement amid reported advances in artificial intelligence (AI).
Dr Ragnar Purje, an adjunct senior lecturer at CQUniversity, outlined his argument in a Psychology Today article published last week. He said AI had advanced to the point where its name no longer fits, claiming what we are seeing now is "Superior Intelligence."
"This is technology that has advanced beyond the early stages of artificial intelligence and is demonstrating capabilities superior to those of humans."
He said skills, knowledge, critical thinking and higher-order reasoning take years of learning and human interaction to develop, and cautioned that growing reliance on machine-based intelligence could undermine them.
"We most certainly are not in the Age of Reason and Enlightenment," Dr Purje said.
Education, he said, would be central to keeping those skills alive. He said neuroscience showed there were no shortcuts to the way the human brain develops consciousness, cognition and reasoning.
"We need to make sure that our education system is operating in a manner that advances critical thinking and higher-order reasoning in accordance with how the human brain functions."
What role should AI play in education?
The OECD has examined a related question. Its Digital Education Outlook 2026, published in January, said general-purpose generative AI tools can improve students' performance on tasks without necessarily producing learning gains. The report also said generative AI can support learning when guided by clear teaching principles.
In Australia, the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools, agreed by all education ministers in October 2023, has applied since Term 1 2024. A House of Representatives committee inquiry, Study Buddy or Influencer, recommended integrating generative AI into the national curriculum as a study buddy for all students. Committee chair Lisa Chesters said at the report's release that, if managed correctly, generative AI would be "a valuable study buddy and not an algorithmic influencer." The federal government's response says it supports nationally consistent guidance on AI use in schools.
Dr Purje's article says academic standards in Australia and the United States are declining alongside rising technology use, and lists the 2026 NAPLAN national results among its references. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) reported in August that overall results were broadly stable compared with 2025 and 2023. Average numeracy scores in Years 5, 7 and 9 were the highest since 2023, while average reading scores in those year levels were lower than in 2025.
The issue extends beyond the classroom, Dr Purje said, pointing to the role of physical play and face-to-face interaction in childhood development. He cautioned that when device use displaces them, it could affect the conditions that support healthy neurological and social development.
"Play is the immutable, genetically based, universal developmental process that holistically develops the brain, mind and body for eventual adulthood," he said.
Australia's under-16 social media minimum age took effect Dec 10. Data released in July by the eSafety Commissioner showed the share of under-16s with an account fell from 52.4% in December to 42.1% in March, according to Xinhua. The share using a platform, with or without an account, fell from 85.9% to 81.5%. The regulator said most under-16s who had accounts before the ban kept them or opened new ones because platforms failed to apply effective age assurance.
Dr Purje drew a parallel with the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, which he said showed the importance of human judgement, empathy, ethics and understanding others' perspectives when decisions carry far-reaching consequences. He said humanity is again at a crossroads, this time driven by the growing power of Superior Intelligence.
"Choices have consequences. Choose wisely. The mythology surrounding Pandora's Box endures for a reason," he said.