In Reply to: I don't think it is that big of a deal posted by andyH on September 26, 2026 at 11:29:50
Agree.
I remember being in a meeting with a very influential math professor who asked, “Why are we spending so much time teaching students to perform computations they can do on an iPhone—only slower and less accurately?”
Historically, education became increasingly focused on arithmetic when inexpensive Japanese calculators entered the market. There was a fear that calculators would replace teachers, so our generation was taught in an environment where calculators were often forbidden, as though using them were somehow a bad thing.
Research eventually showed that this heavy emphasis on computation came at the expense of developing deeper mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills. We carried the anti-calculator philosophy so far that we eventually had to rethink how mathematics was taught, with Common Core and countries such as Singapore placing much greater emphasis on conceptual understanding, problem-solving, and higher-level thinking rather than simply performing calculations.
Jensen is speaking in extremes, as CEOs tend to do, but I think the underlying point is valid. The more marketable skill is not competing with AI at computation. It is developing the higher-order thinking needed to know what to ask AI, how to evaluate its answers, and how to use AI to support higher level thinking.