Brain Upgrade: How AI Is Rewiring Schools and Minds

Kristina Kallas argues that AI’s rise forces a fundamental shift in education: with machines handling routine literacy and numeracy, schools must move from memorization toward higher‑order skills—analysis, creativity, and judgement. Estonia’s experiment with Socratic AI tutors illustrates a practical path: using AI to provoke reasoning and prevent “brain rot,” not to replace thinking. Kallas frames AI as a catalyst for a cognitive leap, urging curricula and teacher training that cultivate deeper mental modes needed for an AI‑augmented future.